Panem's Victors
by InsaneXBexX24
Summary: The Games are over and Jada Caldwell has returned home. She is counting down the days until she sees her lover and co-victor, Quaid Ethers, again. As she and her family are watching T.V, an upsetting announcement sends her mind in a complete spin. What is the announcement? And how will it effect the Tour? Sequel to Seventh Quarter Quell
1. At Home

I placed fodder in each feedbox for each cattle. The water trough was refilled and the muck was cleaned out. When I swung the barn doors opened, eleven bulls and cows made their way into their shelter. I ran through their names in my head. Cadence, Celeste, Ormond, Paddy, Caramel, Sparkle, Fancy, Paidin, Jacks, Rarity, and Tank. They all ran to their fodder as Philomena waddled her way towards the barn.

"Hurry up or Paddy will eat your food, silly." I coax the pregnant cow to come faster. Her bell jingled as she nuzzled my body. "Hurry, girl." I moved out of the way so she can get inside. When she entered, I closed the barn door, allowing them to eat in peace and fall asleep. The stars shown brightly for being only seven thirty at night. I jump the fence and make it to the hen house.

I fed the chickens and moved to the horse shed. We have just got a new mare, named Diamond Dancer. Her raven coat shimmered in the night, making her look like dull diamonds. I said goodnight to each of our horses, Touch of Class, Juniper, and Cherry Jubilee, saving Locomotion for last. I kissed his nose and ran my fingers through his mane. He nuzzled my face and nudged me towards the bridles and saddles.

"No, no." I say, knowing what he wants. "You know the rules. I can't leave my property after eight o'clock."

He snorted, almost saying _We've done it before! Can we do it again?_

"That was years ago and before I was a victor." I answer. "I'll ride you in the morning, Loco." I kiss his nose again and walk out of the shed.

I looked at the night sky. The full moon shone brightly and proud, lighting up the night. I wonder if Quaid was looking at the moon. I haven't seen him in five months and two weeks. Just two more weeks before the Victory Tour and I get to see him again. I missed his golden hair and emerald eyes. I told myself that Philomena's baby will be named after him, depending its gender.

A crack of thunder roared overhead. Clouds covered the moon, leaving me in darkness. The wind picked up, making the trees sway from side to side. The lights in my house were my only light source to make it to the house before the rain came down. Lightning flashed in the clouds and I counted. _1…2…3…4…5… _Thunder cracked overhead.

Rain started to drizzle as I made my way to the door. When I opened the door, a barking noise filled the house. Here comes Clyde. Clyde is a puppy I found wondering the streets of the Town. He was a tiny puppy, only about the size of my palm, and he was skinnier than Hadley. So I brought him home. The surplus of money I have earned from the Hunger Games covered his food expense. His ribs disappeared and his is now bigger than a loaf of bread.

Clyde jumped on my feet and barked at me. Jace ran over, chasing the little puppy. Jetta followed him, tripping over her own feet. When I brought Clyde home, they immediately took a liking to the puppy. Jace wanted it to be his, but my mother said that it was the family dog. He didn't complain; he just started to play with him.

"How are the animals?" my mother asked, walking out of the kitchen. She was wearing a simple sundress with cherries all over it. She looked like a typical farmer, even with her blond hair in a high ponytail.

"Fine." I reply, ruffling Jace's hair as thunder cracked. "Locomotion wanted to take a rain ride, but I told him no."

"How do you talk to animals?" Jetta asked as I walked to the couch. "I can't talk to Clyde or Diamond Dancer."

"I just study their body movements." I reply, being completely honest. My father walks in from the kitchen and turns on the T.V we just bought. There are good things coming from winning the Hunger Games. Money, fame, and new furniture are a few I can think of.

The seal of Panem was on screen, and a normal looking woman was in front of everyone. With the new T.V we purchased, we got the channels that other citizens don't receive. Like, Capitol News. The only other family I can think of getting this channel would be Mayor Underbaker's family. Well, Annabelle and Dane have them too. I don't think they watch them.

As Dusk Shine introduced the woman named Juno, I noticed the woman in front of a screen with my face and Quaid's face on it. She spoke in her thick Capitol accent. "Thank you, Dusk. As you all know, in two weeks the Victory Tour will be held. This year's victors are quite a pair. One resides in District One while the other resides in District Ten. They fell in deep love in the arena, and lived at the request of the Capitol citizens."

"Yes. They were my favorite tributes so far. So, what is going on for the Tour in a few weeks?" Dusk asks.

"The Tour will begin with the furthest district from the Capitol. This is where it gets interesting." Juno begins, and the screenshot changes. "As you all know, three districts were under construction for five years. We kept this from every other district, unsure about how they will take it. We lived one hundred years without the coal supply from District Twelve. Well, Twelve has been built up once again for our coal needs." My mouth hits the floor. District 12, the starting place of the Second Rebellion, is back?

"But, that's not all." Of course. "District Thirteen has been lifted from the rubble and is in working condition again. But, instead of nuclear weapons being provided, Thirteen will provide scientific research."

"When will the Capitol learn?" My mother blurts out. "District Thirteen was the starting place for both rebellions. Why bring them back?"

"Larissa, shush." My father warns her as Juno continues on.

"And, the last district to be finished with construction is…District Fourteen!" Juno says excitedly. "District Fourteen will provide medication and health research."

"Now, Juno, what does this have to do with our victors?" Dusk asks. I believe we are all asking this question at this point.

"Well, the first stop on the Victory Tour is always furthest away from the Capitol and skipping over their home district. Our victors will start their Tour at District Fourteen!"


	2. Butcher Shed

"Fourteen?" I ask, curled up on Hadley's couch. "Why does there have to be fourteen districts? I don't want to head to an unknown district and wish the whole place good luck at the next Hunger Games!" Hadley crosses to me with a cup of hot chocolate. She passes it to me and sits down.

"Maybe they need more districts to make more goods." Hadley says, sipping her drink. "I mean, Panem has gone one hundred years with out the coal from District Twelve. They've also gone one hundred and seventy five years without the nuclear power. But, they need the scientific and heath research and medicine." I sip the hot drink, making sure it doesn't burn my tongue.

Hadley has lived up to her promise. She has gained weight since I left for the Games and her condition has gotten better. She doesn't wobble as much as she did years ago and she can sprint for a solid thirty seconds now. I can't see her ribs and she is stronger than my mother. That is a very good compliment for her.

When I returned from the Games, she still looked like she needed work on her weight. That was not the only reason I gave her my Victor Village's home. The Caldwell farm needed our hand in its work and we couldn't just abandon it because of my victory. Hadley's home was falling apart at the seams, and we gave her family the Victor's Village house. She still keeps telling me, 'I will repay you someday!'

She looks to the coffee table where she sets her drink down. "Besides, it could be a good thing for the country. We need more industries."

I sighed. I sipped my drink again, only for it to go back into the cup. The drink suddenly didn't taste too tasty. It tasted bland and non appetizing. The news about districts 12, 13, and 14 are too much for me. I put my cup on the coffee table and sighed again.

Hadley's newly painted nails touched mine. "Do you miss him?"

"Yes." I nodded. There was no doubt she was talking about my District One lover. I missed him more than there were stars in the night sky. I could barely make it to five months without him. Just two more weeks and I'll see him again.

"I should be going." I say, standing up. "Thanks for the drink and the talk. I'm going to take Loco for a ride."

"Don't worry about Quaid." She says, standing up with me. "He'll be here soon. Sooner than you think." She draws me in for a hug and I wrap my arms around my friend. When I release her, I walk out of her home. The snow started to stick to the ground and it coated the ground with snow. I mount Loco and run out of the Village.

I missed riding my horse. I let him gallop to his full speed and let the wind weave through my hair. This is something you can't find in the Capitol. On Loco's back, I was away from the Hunger Games, the Victory Tour, the Peacekeepers, and everything that bothered me. The news about the new districts seemed to leave my mind at this point. I kept riding my caramel colored horse.

I rode to the Blue Bar and parked him outside. I dismounted and hitched him to the hitching post. Amos, the owner of the bar, made it just for me. I believe he said, 'Anything for the gem of District Ten.'

I walked in, a bell ringing above my head. Amos turned his head, his brown hair swishing. His blue eyes lit up and moved towards me. "There she is. First drink is on the house. What would you like?" He moved to the drink making station and I followed.

"Stone Oil, please." I say, watching him mix the drink. Ice, a pink liquid and strawberries make up the drink. A fudge topping makes up the 'oil' part. He handed me my drink and tipped his hat to me. Amos always wore a black top hat and tipped it at every lady customer. I didn't mind at all. He's a really nice guy.

I sipped my Stone Oil, letting the strawberries cool the heat rising in my chest. No one else in District 10, maybe every district in Panem, knows about 12, 13, and 14. I can't exactly voice my opinion here. I'd probably cause an uprising. I do not need that right now.

As I was finishing the fudge off, the bell rung above the door. I turned to the door and I saw Irving. I haven't seen him since I returned home. He looked like he was off duty; his helmet was off and I could see his face. His dark eyes surveyed the bar and stopped on me. He walked over and sat in the stool next to me.

"Hello, Jada. It seems like you are more noticed because of your victory." He says, ordering an alcoholic drink.

"Yeah." I reply. "It happens."

Irving sipped his drink and looked at me. "Too much publicity could be bad, you know? Like poor Dane. He's such a heavy drinker now. I don't want you following his footsteps."

"I won't. I can't afford to get drunk when I work on a farm." I held my tongue so I won't say anything I regretted.

"Wise girl." He sucked down the rest of the drink. He tapped my knee. "Come with me."

I rolled my eyes and followed the head Peacekeeper. I don't know where he was taking me, but I had to follow him. He walked up the main street and made a left. The two buildings that were there was the butcher's and his shed supplied with meat. Irving opened the shed's door and led me inside.

The whole shed smelt like fresh cut meat. It makes me upset, knowing that the meat used to be my cows. I walked toward Irving, hoping he would explain to me why we are here. The butcher doesn't like people anywhere on his property unless it is me delivering a cow.

Irving slammed me against the wall, his hands on my wrists. The whisky he drank was on his breath, making me uneasy. "You're such a sweet girl. I don't want that District One boy to ruin it."

"His name is Quaid!" I yell back. "He won't do anything to hurt me."

"Sure. His boy instinct will take over and you might wind up pregnant." My feet kicked the floorboards and I wanted the butcher to walk in right now. "You know, you should have killed him in the arena. He is such a hazard to you." His lips touched my throat and my eyes widened. _Some one help me! Some one help me!_

Boy instincts? Irving is worried about Quaid's instincts while Irving is showing off his on me. He's never been so aggressive with anyone but criminals. His grip tightened on my wrists, forming bruises. I kept kicking the floorboards and I kicked his knees. "Let me go!" I squeal.

The door cracked open and a head popped in. In the dim light, I saw golden hair and emerald eyes. "Let her go!" says the voice. I know that voice anywhere. Quaid ran to my aid, pulling Irving off of me. I threw my arms around him.

"What are you doing here, kid?" Irving is lying on the ground, recovering from the pain when he hit the ground.

"What does it look like?" he asks. "I'm here for her. And if you ever come near her again, I won't be hesitant with my knowledge from the arena." Quaid leads me out of the butcher shed and out in the chilly air.

"Why are you here so early?" I ask the burning question.

"I can't stay away from you." He replies, holding my face in his hands. "Even in District One, the only thing I could think about is you." His lips meet mine and we stay locked in a passionate kiss. My lover is back. How could anything go wrong now?

**A/N: Thank you for reading the sequel. I am taking a week vacation and I won't be anywhere near a computer to write more chapters. While I'm gone, please leave some ideas. I would love to hear them. Read and review on, guys! :)**


	3. The Spring

"So this is where you sang to the mockingjays for the first time?" Quaid asks while his grip on my waist as we rode to the spring.

"Yep. We are coming up close to it, so keep holding on." I nudged Loco's side and he moved a little faster. After Quaid and I kissed at the Blue Bar, I offered to show him around my part of District 10, only for him to ask to see the mockingjays. We hopped on Loco's back and rode to the spring while it snowed lightly.

Trees started to cluster the pathways and I knew I was coming closer. The wind moved the grass and made it sway. Loco's movements became more rigid and my grip became tighter on Loco's mane. The horse moved his hooves on foot at a time, slowly making his way to the spring.

I saw the glassy pool of water and urged Loco to move faster. His movements sped up and we arrived at the spring. "Now, just swing your right leg over and don't hit me." I instruct him to do. He swings his leg over and jumps to the ground. I swing my legs over and fall to the dirt. Quaid moves toward the clear water and looks in.

"I haven't seen anything like this. How far away are we from your farm?" he asks.

"I think we are twenty minutes away." I reply, sitting on the ground. Quaid sits beside me and holds my hand.

We stare at the spring, watching the snowflakes fall on the water. The sun began to set and it painted the sky a marvelous pink and orange. I could barely see the sky, there were that many trees. As I tried looking at the sky, my mind, against my wishes, kept wondering to District 14. I'll be going there in less than two weeks with Quaid. I wonder what it looks like. Will they have any victors? They are new to the Hunger Games like District 13, but they might have the worst chances of winning.

A fat flake falls on the tip of my nose and melts. Who would even offer to live in the new districts? I know I wouldn't. But, the Capitol needs people to work the mines, research, and medicine factories. I lie on my back and stare at the dimming sky. A single question keeps nagging at me. I turn to the District 1 boy beside me and look into his emerald eyes.

"Why did you come to Ten, besides the fact that you miss me?" I ask him.

His head drops, avoiding my eyes. It takes him a while before he answers me. "Well, every girl in District One kept throwing themselves at me. They kept telling me, 'You don't need that Ten girl. She probably forgot all about you.' They wouldn't leave me alone. A girl named Amelia kept coming to my Victor Village home. She told me that I should be with her. I refused, earning me this." He rolls up his sleeve and shows me a long, jagged scar on his arm.

"She hurt you?" I ask, my mouth turning into sawdust.

"Yes. She reached for a knife and sliced my arm." He replied, covering up his scar. "I couldn't take the amount of girls, so I came here to find you. And here we are, by the spring." His arms pull me up from the dirt and wrap themselves around me.

"I'm scared about the Tour." I blurt out before I could stop myself. Loco snorts as Quaid looks at me.

"Why?" he replies.

"I don't want to see the hurt faces of Faith's family, or Omar's, or Jae's. I know they all hate me beyond the point of fixing it."

"Do you still have dreams about her?" He moves my hair behind my ears.

"Every night." I answer. "She always screams at me, telling me not to kill her. Or she is already dead, staring at me with gray eyes. I can never get rid of the image of her death in my head. Or Omar attacking me. Omar should have killed me."

Quaid pulls me onto his lap. "Don't say that. If Omar killed you, then I wouldn't have a reason to be alive. You are the best thing that has happened to me, you know that, Jada?" His lips touch mine, with the intention to never let go. My fingers weave themselves into the golden hair on his head and he pulls me closer to his body.

I awaken to my father's voice calling to me. "Jada, today is the day! You're going to visit all of Panem. Hurry up and wake up so you and Quaid can catch the train." My eyes flutter open and I see my father standing over me. His eyes are full of life and pride while mine still are full of sleep.

I rub my eyes free of the sleep and sit up. Quaid has stayed with us and he slept in the guest room. My father prohibited us from sleeping in the same bed. I cross to my dresser and put on my clothes for the Victory Tour. Everything I feared might happen on this day. I pushed my fear aside as I ate breakfast made by my mother.

Jace sits beside me and Jetta is across from me. They have been very considerate of Quaid, asking him appropriate questions and joking with him. They haven't brought up the murders he committed in the arena once. They haven't even talked about the tributes I killed.

"Are you going to that new district?" Jetta asks as she picks up a blackberry.

"Yes." I reply.

"Are you going to District One first?" Jace asked.

"No." Quaid replies to my brother. "It starts with the highest numbered district. District Fourteen is first."

When Quaid and I were at the spring, I explained to him about my other fear about District 14. He didn't look fazed that there were three new districts. He might have already known about the newest addition to Panem already. The rest of District 10 found out the news last night. Gotham Nail, our furniture dealer, came to talk to us. He said that he hopes the Capitol keeps an eye on 12 and 13. He is also in fear of another rebellion.

I finished my pancakes and I waited for Quaid to finish his. When we were both done, my father escorted us to the train station. Annabelle was already there, waiting for the train to take her along with us. As we waited for the train, Quaid kept holding my hand. He calmed my nerves and told me everything will be alright.

The train arrived and Kiani was the first person to fly out of the train. She still had her purple color scheme, but it was more vivid than I remember. The colors were brighter and it looked like she was in pearls. Her arms wrapped around me, squeezing the life out of me.

"You look so fabulous. I don't think Eleora should do anything to you right now." She squealed.

"Thanks," is all I can muster.

Duce and Shimmer, Quaid's escort and mentor, are already on the train. I say goodbye to my father and head on the train. Quaid and I make our way to our private compartment, not dealing with our escorts right now.

"Which Hunger Games do you want to watch?" he asks, gesturing towards the Hunger Games tapes. I close my eyes and run over them. I stop my finger and open my eyes. I landed on Shimmer's Hunger Games. It is marked _169, Shimmer Fields_.

We place it in the T.V and the Panem seal greets us. Dusk Shine appears on screen, looking as cheerful as ever. It plays through the Reaping. Shimmer volunteers for her position in the Games. The boy beside her, Bray, also volunteers. For the chariot rides, she is dressed in an elaborate outfit with peacock feathers. Her training score is a ten, and her interview with Dusk is what we'd all expect. Her approach is humble and caring, but that approach disappears when she is in the arena.

She kills four tributes in the bloodbath. They were from 3, 7, 5, and 11. During the bloodbath, nine tributes die. She grabs the biggest bag from the Cornucopia, the best weapons and as much food as she can before she sets off with a boy from 2, named Jeremiah. They work well together, fighting off mutts and any tributes they can find. By the fourth day, they killed three tributes, one of which was the girl from 2, named Isabella.

By the end of the first week, Shimmer has killed seven tributes by her hand. She and Jeremiah have taken refuge in a worn down building made of cement. They were in the further part of the arena and no one has found them. But, the boy from 8 found the cement house. He looked through the window and shot Jeremiah with an arrow. Shimmer quickly threw her sword at the boy, slicing his neck. The arrow hit Jeremiah near his heart, making his death prolonged.

"Shimmer." He whispers to her. "Win for me."

"No!" She retorts. "Stay alive. Please! Stay with me." Tears spill down her face as Jeremiah's eyes begin to flutter.

"Please, Shimmer. Win for me. I…I…" He never finished his sentence. His chest stopped moving and a cannon signaled Jeremiah's death.

Shimmer sobbed over Jeremiah's body. "I will win for you, Jeremiah." She whispered to him. She kissed his forehead and left the house. It was only her and two other tributes. A sponsor gave her hints on where the other tributes were. She found the girl from 4, sleeping on the ground. She hacked away at the girl, and didn't stop until she heard the cannon. The other tribute was by the Cornucopia. He was from 6, and he hid in the horn of plenty. Shimmer pinned him to the ground and sliced his throat multiple times. Trumpets blared, declaring her the winner. The tape ended with her whispering Jeremiah's name in her sleep.

My heart began to hurt. I now know why she is stone cold. She knew that she and Jeremiah could not escape the arena together, but she stayed by his side until he died. I barely had any time to think about this. The train began to slow down and Kiani poked her head in our compartment.

"We're here!"

**A/N: I'm back from vacation and I am writing again! I hope you liked the chapter! Thank you for reading and reviewing. :)**


	4. District 14

As we made our way to the Justice Building, I noticed how clean everything looked. District 14 is a new district, brand new, and everything is new. I didn't get a look at the citizens, because I was hidden from everyone. Quaid's fingers were interlocked in mine. My stomach started to flip and my throat ran dry. I had my speech written out, but I was sure how to say it. 14 hasn't been in the Games yet, and I have no deaths to apologize for.

We are hidden behind a curtain as the clock ticked away the seconds. I could hear murmurs of the citizens, waiting to see the victors from 1 and 10. I squeezed Quaid's hand, and he squeezed back.

Suddenly, the clock chimed three times. The murmurs were silenced and a pair of feet walked on the stage. By her voice and her name, she was the mayor of 14. "Hello, citizens of District Fourteen. I hope you are excited as I am to announce we have the victors from the seventh Quarter Quell. Jada Caldwell and Quaid Ethers."

The curtain parted, exposing Quaid and I. As we looked at the citizens, they seemed very welcoming. They didn't have hatred on their faces; they looked like they were honored to have us at their district. A little girl and boy walked up with two plaques and an older boy held two bouquets of flowers. I grabbed my gifts and thanked the children. The little girl, with sea green eyes and raven hair, hugged my legs.

When the girl let go of me, I moved to the podium. I wasn't very good at speeches, but I hid the fear as the microphone was near my mouth. I opened up the paper with my speech on it, and read what I wrote.

"Hello, citizens of Fourteen. I know that your district hasn't competed in the Games, but I just want to say that the deaths I have caused were on instinct. Survival, to me, isn't something I do normally. I come from the Caldwell farm in District Ten, and my chances at the Reaping were slim compared to my best friend, Hadley. I volunteered for her, because I couldn't stand to see her die in front of my eyes.

"Yes, the Games can tear apart families and friends. It can only tear you apart if you allow it. I just want to say that I give you my luck in the next Hunger Games. Thank you very much." The crowd remained silent. A tear slipped from my eye when not a single person clapped or said anything. Did I say something wrong?

Before long, a man in his forties started to clap. The clapping rippled through the crowd and a few people started to shout. I thanked the district again and stepped down for Quaid's speech. His golden hair shimmered in the light and his emerald eyes surveyed the crowd.

"I can't top Jada's speech, but I just want to say that the Games can be brutal. I thought I would be chewed up and spit out. But, sometimes you have to find the strength to pull through and shock the whole nation." He gestures me to stand beside him, and I step up. "Thank you for having us, Fourteen. I want to see you have a victor next year."

He grips my hand and throws our hands in the air. Cheers erupted from the crowd with people yelling our names. A few of the children covered their ears from the noise, while the teenagers moved their way to the stage. The mayor thanked us and escorted us to the banquet hall.

"Your speech was fantastic!" Kiani says to me. "I don't think even Annabelle's speech was that great!"

"Excuse me?" Annabelle asks. Kiani rolls her eyes.

"Beside that, you were fantastic." My purple escort wraps her arms around me as we wait for the food to be set up. Duce and Quaid move to the other side of the hall and talk one on one. Duce is a thin man, thinner than most, and he had gems woven into his deep red hair.

Before the dinner began, Eleora came out with an elaborate outfit for this dinner. It was a golden ball gown, similar to the gown Flitter wore on the interview night. The dress fit me perfectly. Eleora used her clever fingers to weave my hair into a complex hair style. To top off my outfit, Eleora surprised me with a gem studded tiara.

"Oh, my." I say, awing at it. The gems were green and white, and it looked too fantastic for this dinner.

"Isn't it lovely?" Eleora asks, looking at it with me. "District One made it for you. I have the note they wrote for you right here." She hands me a white paper with writing on it. My eyes read over the few sentences District 1 wrote for me.

_Dear Jada,_

_We want to congratulate you on your victory with our citizen, Quaid. We hope you like the gift we have given you and we can't wait to see you in our district._

_Your friends from District One._

I tried my hardest not to cry. Other districts aren't known to give the victor a gift. I never thought 1, of all districts, would give me a gift. This tiara they have made for me was better than anything I could ask for. Did District 10 make something for Quaid? I covered my mouth with my hand to stop any sounds to escape.

Eleora takes the tiara and places it on my head. I stood up and admired myself in the full length mirror. Eleora spun her finger in a circle, and I took her cue. As I spun in a circle, the bottom of the dress flared out. The color reflected on the dress, making sparkles on the floor. Eleora awed at her work.

"Quaid will love you in this, darling." Eleora says.

"Thank you, for everything." I say. "You made me look beautiful, even if it was just a simple gown. You did-"

"Don't thank me." She placed a finger over my mouth. "I am just doing my job. And my job was to make you look beautiful. Now, go on. They are calling you." I stopped and listened to the noise. 'Jada' filled my ears.

I hugged my stylist and moved towards the ball room. Everyone cheered for me and made an isle for me to go to my lover. He runs to me, his black tux not moving out of place. His shoes were black cowboy boots with his district number on the tips. He picked me up and spun me around. His lips moved to my ears and whispered, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." I say, kissing him. The citizens of 14 cheered and clapped for us. As we were making our way to our table, the little girl who gave us the plaques came up to me.

"You are a princess!" she exclaimed, spinning around.

"Oh, I am not a princess." I tell her.

"Yes, you are!" she pointed to the tiara on my head. She hugged my legs again, and runs back to her mother.

We sat at the head of the ball room; eating the delicacies and watching the children gawk at my tiara. A few teenagers, roughly around fourteen or fifteen, came up to me and Quaid and shook our hands. I signed a few napkins and hugged a few of the boys. The food is now gone and music swells.

They mayor asks if the dance floor could be cleared for the 'lovebirds'. A slow song came over the speakers and we assumed our positions. Quaid's hands rested on my hips and mine were around his neck. As we danced, a few citizens took photos of us. I didn't look at anyone but the boy in front of me, and everyone disappeared.

Quaid's lips met mine, making the crowd give us sounds of adoration. He picked me up and spun me around, like he did before. The color reflected off of the dress, shimmering on the floor. When he placed me on the ground, he whispered in my ear. "I love you."

"You know I feel the same way."


	5. Closer and Closer

District 13 and District 12 went as well as 14. The new districts looked brand new and the people didn't look so worn yet. Although, there was one thing I noticed in the newest additions to my country. They had a multitude of Peacekeepers. By my guess, each of the new districts had four or five hundred Peacekeepers. Was that to stop a rebellion from rising again?

Coming from 12 and moving to 11, Quaid and I stayed in our private compartment. Previous Hunger Games played over the T.V as I sat on the couch. A pillow was hugged to my chest as a previous District 10 tribute is slaughtered by a Career. I think I was watching the 162 Hunger Games. Quaid was sleeping on another part of the couch, deep in dreaming.

I just couldn't sleep. The people in 12, 13, and 14 were very welcoming and nice. But, how will the people in 11 react? I just sat there while Neal was slaughtered by a chainsaw. I'm not sure how Carly died and I had nothing to do with her death. I hope the people from 11 don't hate me. They should hate Camilla for killing Neal with that chainsaw.

As another tribute gets killed by mutts on the T.V, I looked to Quaid. The couch had enough room for me to squeeze in next to him. I moved my eyes to the window. The sun was starting to rise and Kiani would come in any minute to tell us to get ready. District 11 is our next stop and, afterwards, only Quaid will stop at District 10. The same goes for me in District 1.

The tape ends just as the sun rose up over the mountains. The winner was just crowned and had their final interview with Dusk. Dusk looks to the camera and says to join her next year for the Games. That next year will be Annabelle's year for the Games. I still haven't watched Annabelle's or Dane's Games yet, but I only know how they win. I have to watch them before I return home.

The door begins to shake and Kiani pokes her head in. "Good morn- Jada, were you up all night?" Her introduction stops short.

"Only for a few hours." I lied.

"Oh, okay. Just wake up Quaid and tell him we are in District Eleven. The speech doesn't start until one, anyway." She begins to shut the door.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Eight thirty, darling." She says as she leaves. I shake Quaid's broad shoulder around on the couch.

He groans as his body is moved by me. "What?"

"Kiani says to wake up." I say to him.

"Why?"

"We are in Eleven. The speech doesn't start until one, but we have to be up." I answer. He sits up and looks at the T.V screen.

"Why do you like watching old Hunger Games? Do they interest you?"

"Well, yes." I say. An expression of confusion crosses his face. I roll my eyes. "It's just a weird hobby, I guess."

"Nothing is weird about it, silly." He says, pulling me closer to him. "Besides, they are just old tapes. People are going to forget about them sooner or later. Some people have already forgotten about Pace." Pace was the winner of the 174th Hunger Games.

Silence passes in the compartment. It's not long before Eleora and Cleo walk in. Cleo snatches up Quaid, leaving me and Eleora alone in the compartment. Eleora starts blabbering on about a hairstyle she wants me to try, and how it takes a long time to do it. So, that is how I am in the compartment, not allowed to move or do anything to mess up my hair, for over four hours.

By the time my hair is dressed up and ready, I slip into a simple sundress, covered in lilies. It's simple, but it represents a little bit of agriculture. Just like District 11. When my make-up is on and my shoes are in place, the clock reads 12:41pm. I am led off the train by Eleora, Kiani, and Annabelle and to the stage where I must read my speech. The curtain is drawn and I can hear the murmurs of the crowd. I have to do this about nine more times. This is just going to be a long Tour.

Quaid arrives at my side, in a pure white tux with a lily in the pocket. "I don't think this is a coincidence." He says, noticing my outfit.

"I think they do this on purpose." I reply. "What will they do for District Nine?"

"Maybe some grain outfits." He replies. "Or grain colored ones." I laugh quietly as the clock chimes one o'clock. The mayor steps out on stage, introduces the victors of the seventh Quarter Quell, and asks for a round of applause.

The curtains pull back, and everything shifts from the last three districts I visited. All the buildings are worn, the people look tired and devastated from the loss of two citizens, and everything seems darker. The little girl who hands me the plaque doesn't smile or look at me. The boy who gives me flowers looks at me with tears in his eyes. Were they relatives of Carly or Neal?

I make my way to the podium and read the plaque. Each plaque has the same thing written on it. On the top is the district seal, and the engraving on the plaque has the same thing each time. **We, the citizens of (insert district number here), congratulate you, Jada Caldwell, for completing this year's Hunger Games and making it out alive, despite our losses. **I always compared mine to Quaid's when we arrived back on the train. Each plaque is the same. I'll have to cart around thirteen of these useless things.

I clear my throat and look to the crowd. "Hello, citizens of District Eleven. I want to say that I wasn't close with your tributes. But, my heart still aches, to this day, to know that I couldn't do anything to help Neal. The act of survival, to you, is more second nature than it is to me. And survival takes over everything you do when you are put into a situation like that. I still can't…" I choked back tears. _Don't cry today._

"I didn't know Carly either. I am not sure how she even died." When I mention Carly's name, I see a group of people by the stage let tears streak their cheeks. "But, she was a fighter. She was in the top seven, something you should be proud of. Thank you for having me and my partner here today." I finish up and stand back.

Quaid says his speech and we are going to the banquet hall. Everything is just as it was before. We eat, we dance, we pose for pictures, we say good-bye, and we are back on the train. Carly and Neal's family approach me before we board the train. The little girl who gave me the plaque asked me to kneel down to her height.

"Carly would have wanted you to win." She whispers. Her dark skin contrasted with mine and Quaid's. "She would have wanted you to win with your boyfriend." She hugs me and says good-bye.

This Tour keeps dragging on. I am sitting on the couch, watching Quaid place Annabelle's Hunger Games in the player and thinking of Carly's little sister. Quaid sits next to me and holds my hand.

"How are you, sweetheart?" he asks.

"Fine." I lie. I have been lying to everyone I know.

"You don't seem fine." He replies, kissing my neck.

"I keep thinking of Carly's sister. The little girl who gave us the plaques." I fess up, looking into emerald pools.

He sighs and looks at me. "I know it must be hard on them, but they will be fine. The Victory Tour always promises food to the lower districts." He lays me on my back with him on top. "Can we focus on something a little more present?" His lips meet mine, kissing me with the force of a butterfly.

The anthem plays on the T.V, welcoming the 163rd Hunger Games. His shirt falls to the floor, my dress following after. My fingers weave into his hair, my lips focusing on kissing the boy I've known to love. His hands clutch my bare hips, while mine grab his hair tighter. He picks me up, our lips still interlocked, and moves us over to the king sized bed in our compartment car. The T.V announces the training scores. I fall onto the bed, with Quaid falling on top of me.

Sweat begins to form on Quaid's forehead. It trickles down his face, over his cheek bones, and falls onto me. His kisses have put on more and more pressure with each kiss. My fingers run over his muscles, feeling very close with this boy. I try my hardest to keep quiet. I don't want anyone to come in on us.

It's not long before I begin to leave marks on his back.


	6. Take Care of Her

The sheets are stained red. The heavy breathing begins to subside. The sheets are pulled up to my neck, not exposing me more than they should. Quaid's arms are encircling me, but I know that he must leave soon. My eyes close, staying next to the golden haired boy beside me. The train begins to slow down and I know we are in District 10. Only Quaid stops here. He needs to apologize for Stiles' death, after all.

He kisses my forehead, his lips lingering there. My toes are still stinging with excitement, and my muscles are still trying to relax. We were both still undressed, lying side by side. I am not sure what time it is, but I could care less. I am going to be cooped up in this train all day, alone, watching nothing but old Hunger Games.

The door opens and Duce enters. "Good morning, lovebirds." His voice chirps like a bird. "Quaid, the stop at Ten will be short and sweet. Since Jada is a victor for this district, they don't need the feast. Hurry up! If we speed this up, we can make an appearance in District Nine before six tonight. Get up! Get…why are you naked?" Duce asks when he yanks Quaid on the floor.

"I always sleep like that." Quaid responds. Duce looks to me, to Quaid and back.

"With a lady in the same bed? Is that why the sheets are red?" Duce gives a knowing look. He shrugs and looks at his victor. "Like I said, hurry. We need to visit District Nine before six." He walks out of the compartment car and shuts the door.

Quaid stands up, slipping his clothes on. The sheets are still up to my neck, and with Duce's entrance, I think they'll stay that way until we arrive at 9. Quaid sits on the edge of the bed, gesturing me to come over. I move slightly, making sure that the sheets stay on my body.

He wraps his arm around me. "Did you know Stiles personally? What should I say?" he asks me.

"I didn't know him very well. He was a friend of my brothers." I say what I know. "Just say that survival clouded your better judgment and that's why you killed him."

"He was going to kill you if I didn't do anything." He retorts.

"Then say that."

"Thanks, Cowgirl." He kisses my forehead.

The door opens and Shimmer leads him out of the compartment car. I stay in the bed, not wanting to do anything for an hour or so. But, I pick myself up and put on some clothes. I place a large, gray shirt over my head with some plaid pajama bottoms. I sit on the couch and replay Annabelle's Hunger Games. With me and Quaid getting lost in passion, I didn't see how she won her Games.

The Panem seal greets me and Dusk Shine is announcing the tributes, wearing her signature star covered dress.

_Cleo decides to dress me down in a District 10 way. She calls it 'Southern', but I am not sure what that means. I am in a plaid shirt with black pants. I, by request of Cleo and Shimmer, am wearing the cowboy boots that 10 made for me. The number 1 sparkles and shines with every step I take._

_I am behind the velvet curtain and waiting for the clock to strike twelve. Why can't I be with Jada right now? I want to see her district and receive the gifts that they prepared for me, but I want to be with her. Last night was fun, but I know her heart wasn't in it all the way. I think she was still heartbroken over Carly's little sister. She was very quiet with the act and she didn't let out any sounds of approval._

"_Settle down everyone." A man's voice says over the microphone, silencing the people of District 10. This must be the mayor. What was his name? She told me his name before. I think it was Overbaker… "Today, we have a special guest. You know him for winning the one hundred and seventy fifth Hunger Games with our very own Jada Caldwell. Please give a warm welcome to Quaid Ethers from District One."_

Annabelle's training score flashes on screen. She received a seven, probably from her showing the Gamemakers her ability to identify poisonous plants and berries. I think she might have shown them her way of wielding a bow and arrow. Her interview before the Games show up, with her in an elegant orange gown sitting beside Dusk. Her hair was done in a complex way, out of her face. She made eye contact to Dusk and the crowd the whole time.

"Now, Annabelle, tell me. How should you win these Games?" Dusk asks.

"I'm very smart and I know what is poisonous." She says, hands crossed on her knees. "It will take a lot to fool me into eating anything dangerous."

"I wouldn't try. If you win, who will be the first person you will love to see again?" Dusk leans in closer. Annabelle ducks her head. I think she wishes her blond hair would curtain her eyes. When her head rises a few moments later, her eyes are red.

"The first person I'll see is Radley. Radley is my boyfriend and he has been for over a year. He told me I should win this year for him." Her voice begins to crack. I can see the District 1 boy, whose name was Fey, rolled his eyes in the background.

"You will win for him. I know you will." Annabelle's buzzer goes off and she is heading back to her seat. The District 10 boy started to walk up. I believe his name was Marcus. He is introduced and being interviewed. Radley. Why didn't Annabelle mention a Radley to me?

_The little girl handed me flowers. The little boy handed me a plaque. The little children had blond hair and green eyes. I walked over to the podium and set down my gifts. I waited for the cheering to subside before I began talking._

"_Thank you very much, District Ten." I say, projecting my voice. "I want to say, first and foremost, that I am truly sorry for killing Stiles." I remember Jada's words before continuing. "Survival clouded my better judgment and I want me and Jada to live. I didn't know Stiles, and neither did Jada. But, if I knew any of the tributes, it would have been harder to come out of the arena and return home."_

_I notice a few tears on a few faces. Tears sting my eyes, threatening to fall. "But, the Hunger Games can only tear them apart if you allow them to. I won't let the Games take me down. Thank you all so much for allowing me to speak here." The crowd begins to clap. As the mayor comes up to say good-bye, the little girl who handed me the flowers tugs on my pant leg._

_I bend down to her level and look into her green eyes. They are brighter than mine and they shine brighter than mine. She wore a simple dress, similar to the one Jada wore on her chariot ride. "Quaid, can you tell Jada that I miss her?"_

"_Sure, Jetta. I'll tell her." I promise the seven year old. She latches onto my neck, thanking me._

The camera focuses on Annabelle lying on the ground. She used the shovel she acquired at the Cornucopia to dig in the ground and make a make-shift home in the sand. Her arena was a desert, and Dusk had commented on the heat. It was about one hundred degrees and slowly decreasing as the night appeared.

Suddenly, the nightly death toll showed up. Over all, ten died on day one. The girl from 3, the boy from 4, both tributes from 5, the boy from 6, both from 7, the girl from 9, and both from 11 were the victims. Annabelle didn't participate in the bloodbath. She got her bag and left the Cornucopia to make a shelter.

When day arrived, she covered up her home and started to move. The video editors cut out days that didn't have a death, unless something important happened. As more and more tributes died from heat exhaustion or dehydration, Annabelle steered further and further from her competition. She had a gallon of water, which she drank sparingly. Her first sponsor gift was a tool to get water out of cacti, which she used on every cactus in sight.

When only four, including Annabelle, were left, Annabelle faced her deadliest competition. It was nightlock. You could see in her face that she had an idea. She picked each berry, and placed them in her bag. Dusk began to joke about it, stating that, "I guess she needs a quick way out unless she wants to die a slow and painful death."

She only moved during the night, after the deathly night toll. When she came upon her fellow tributes sleeping, she cracked open the berries, got the juice out of them, and sprinkled their food with the poison. The first one she poisoned was the boy from 2. Next, she snuck the poison into the girl from 1's food.

Her final kill was the boy from 9. He caught her sprinkling the juice into his food and attacked her. He gave her an ugly scar on her forehead. She fought back, pinning him to the ground. Blood from her wound dripped out as she held him down. She pulled out a few nightlock berries and forced them down his throat. The cannon fired, declaring her the winner.

_The sun is still high in the sky as I make my way back to the train. Seeing how much Jetta missed Jada made me tear up. Everything about today made me tear up. I read over the plaque. Same as always. Cleo leads me into the train when someone stops me. I turn around and see a teenage girl behind me._

_She has curly light brown hair. Her eyes were the shade of the sky on a clear day. She looks to be about sixteen. She approaches me with such shyness; I thought she would burst out in tears._

"_Were you the boy that killed Stiles?" She asked._

"_Yes. Who are you?" I ask her. Cleo pulls me towards the train, but I shake her off._

"_I'm Ana, Stiles' sister." She says. "I just want to say that I forgive you for killing my baby brother. My mother and father don't, but I do. You were protecting Jada, and I can understand that. Jada is the most loved girl in District Ten. Take care of her." She embraces me, holding me tight._

_I hug Ana back, having to bend down to reach her. "I will. I'll take good care of Jada." Ana releases me and looks me in the eyes._

"_I shouldn't say this, but I knew Stiles wasn't going to make it." She starts. "After seeing his training score, I lost hope. But, if I wanted anyone to win, it would be you and Jada." She wipes her eyes free of tears and turns around. She goes back to her home, far away from the train station. I watch her run away, until she is a speck in the horizon._

"_Come on, we have to go to-" I cut Duce off._

"_District Nine, I know." I get on the train and walk into my compartment. Jada is sitting on the couch, watching Annabelle's Hunger Games mindlessly. As I walk closer, I see that her eyes are closed. I sit next to her and caress her cheek. She stirs, moving her face away from my hand. I pick her up in my arms and carry her to the bed._

_As I lay her down, I noticed the sheets have been changed. They are probably getting rid of the blood right now. I tuck her in and lay beside her. I will do what Ana has asked me to do. I will take good care of Jada. No matter what it takes, I will treat her correctly. She is the only one I should care for now._


	7. In His Arms

I wake up a few hours later with Quaid beside me. He wasn't sleeping. He was probably watching me sleep. Judging by the sun's position, we are in District 9. Before I can say a word to the golden haired boy beside me, Eleora waltzed in and demanded that I get dressed. I am whisked away to another compartment, with Eleora telling me her plans for this district.

An hour later, I am dressed in a simple gown in the color of wheat. The shoes I am wearing are simple flats, in the same hue as my dress. My hair has been left down, allowing it to fall down which ever way it pleases. Quaid comes up in a suit with a similar color of my dress. He's right: this isn't a coincidence. Our stylists do set this up.

My speech apologizes for killing Jae, and saying how strong of a fighter Omar was. I thank District 9 for sending fighters, and step away for Quaid's speech. We eat dinner, dance and pose for photos, and make our way to District 8.

District 8 unfolds the same way. I say a few words about Parker and Milo and allow Quaid to say a few words. I try to drag this out as long as I can, because I don't want to visit District 7. I killed the youngest tribute in the arena, little twelve year old Faith. As we dance and eat at the District 8 banquet, I try to make it last longer than it should. Can we just skip over 7?

My answer is no, because when I wake up the next afternoon, we have arrived in 7.

"Jada, they'll understand." Quaid tries to coax me out of bed. "Like you told me, survival kicked in and that is why you killed Faith. Or you could say that Camilla forced you to do it."

"I killed BOTH of their tributes, Quaid!" I snap at him, curling into a tighter ball on the bed. "How will they react to that?"

"I killed a fair amount of tributes too," he starts, his voice started to sound annoyed. "I killed a twelve year old too! Remember Stiles? I have nightmares about him too! You aren't the only one having them!"

His voice made my tears flow harder. He never raised his voice at me. "I know I am not the only one! Annabelle and Dane have the nightmares. Everyone who ever survived the Games has them. But Faith was as old as my brother. It was like killing a sibling to me!"

"Jada, I can't make this go away!" The volume of his voice climbs. "Killing Stiles was hard, talking to your district was harder!" His hands grab my shoulders and he uncoils me from my ball. "Jada, you have to do this!"

His voice makes me cry harder. "Stop yelling at me!" I yell at him. His grip on my shoulders loosens, placing me back onto the bed. His eyes stare at me, hinting remorse in them. He sits on the bed beside me, wrapping his arm around me.

"I'm sorry, baby." He kisses my forehead. "I just don't know what to tell you."

Before I know it, I am on stage behind a curtain. Quaid is beside me, dressed in a similar outfit to mine. My gown is a green hue, to match the leaves of a tree. My hair has grass strands woven in, and my shoes are brown. Quaid's suit is green with brown running down the sides.

The mayor introduces us, and I breathe in and out. _Tell them you're sorry, _I think. As the curtain opens, I am exposed to all of District 7. Some have hatred on their faces, some have an understanding look. I walk to the podium after I am given my plaque and flowers. I take a deep breath and begin my speech.

"Hello, District Seven." I begin, trying to rid the cracks in my voice. "I know some of you detest me right now. I am truly sorry for killing Faith and Kade. The nightmares I am getting from their death still haunts me. When I saw Faith sitting on that rock, all alone, I didn't want to disturb her. But, District Two's tribute, Camilla, asked me to kill her. So, I did. Once the knife left my fingers, I wanted that knife to miss. But, my aim was too good. It…it hit her…" I stopped to clear tears from my eyes. Quaid rubbed my back, telling me to continue.

"If I could take it back, trade places with her, I would. Same goes for Kade. His death was brutal, and I apologize. That butcher knife was the last thing he saw. And, I didn't mean for his life to end that way. I wanted to survive, but I want to trade places with them so badly. I would have wanted Faith to return home. District Nine's Omar brought that thought upon me when he was tackling me to the ground, yelling at me for killing her.

"In conclusion, I am sorry for the grief I placed upon District Seven. It wasn't my intention to kill both your tributes. Believe me; I have grief on my heart as well. Faith will live on in our hearts. Same with Kade. Thank you very much." I step down and face the silence. I hear clapping in the far back of the crowd. It spread like wildfire, and everyone was clapping. My speech worked. I wiped stray tears away as Quaid started his speech.

When the night ended, Quaid and I went back to our compartment. Before I could even sit down, he cups my face in his hands and kisses me. A long and passionate kiss. It seemed as if he didn't want to let go. When he did, he said, "Great job, Cowgirl. You opened their eyes."

"Thank you." I say back, and kiss him again.

District 6 and 5 were a little easier than 7. I said a few words about Lily and Collin, not really knowing them and how they died in the bloodbath. I acknowledged Devin's partnership and how far it took him. I made sure I said something about Skylar, the girl who was killed by the chainsaw. I told them that if I could have done something, I would have. I would have taken down Camilla and Flitter, but I couldn't find my strength.

As we arrive in District 4, I prepare what I am going to say about Hollis. I killed her unfairly, the knife landing in the back of her neck. I also plan to say a few words about Louis, but it is hard because he was killed by a lizard mutt. When Eleora finishes my outfit with a golden mermaid dress with seashells in my hair, I ask to see Quaid. I go to our separate compartment and see that Quaid is already dressed.

"You look absolutely stunning!" He says, crossing over to me.

"You look rather dashing." I tell him what I told him the night of the interviews before the Games.

"Are you alright?" he asks, holding my hand with seashell bracelets on them.

"Yes." I say, half-lying. "I'm just a little unsure of what to say about Hollis. I told her corpse that I was sorry, I don't know if District Four believes me."

He sighs and caresses my hair. "Be truthful. If you are truly sorry, they'll understand. Just like back in District Seven." He leans in for a kiss when Shimmer enters.

"We have to go." She says, staring at Quaid. "Don't kiss her when she has make-up on. It'll smear." She leaves. Quaid uses his hand to mimic Shimmer's mouth. I laugh as we leave the train.

When the mayor introduces us, I hear the crowd sound a little more enthused. When I am given my plaque and flowers, I begin my short speech. "People of District Four, I would like to thank you for allowing us to come here. I want to say that I am sorry for killing Hollis. I didn't want to prolong her death by hitting her neck. I wanted it to be quick and painless, but I did the exact opposite."

A man from the back yells, "Its okay, Jada. We love you!" My cheeks flush by his compliment.

"Thank you, sir." I say. "And I would just like to say that, even though I didn't know Louis, I just want to say that he should have made it farther in the Games."

A teenager from the front yells, "He was weak anyway. Don't feel too bad!" Is this how the Career districts feel about deaths?

I finish my speech and let Quaid say his. When the speeches ended, we went straight to the banquet hall. An array of food was laid out on the tables and the dance floor was huge. People from 4 seemed very nice about the deaths that I caused.

As I was eating a piece of chicken, a man and woman came up to me. The woman resembled Hollis, brown hair and hazel eyes. This must be her parents. She had her father's nose, pointed and tiny.

"Hello, Jada." The woman says. "I just want to say that we don't resent you for the murder of our daughter. She volunteered and put herself up to this."

"Yes," her father says. "I asked her not to volunteer, but she said she wanted to. So, it was on herself."

"I wouldn't say that." I said. "I volunteered for my best friend and I came out alive. She had a one in twenty two chance of winning, just like everyone else." I quickly sipped water from a champagne glass.

"You did it for a cause." Her mother replies. "She did it because she wanted to. Louis didn't volunteer. If she was like Louis, we'd probably have more resentment. But, she signed her own death certificate by volunteering."

"Nice meeting you." Her father says, before turning around and walking to the buffet table.

I look to Quaid, who has the same expression as me. Why would they place the death of Hollis on herself? If I died, would my parents do the same thing?

I shook off both thoughts when I danced with Quaid. Every time I danced with him, I felt safe. I felt comfort. I felt like I was in the Capitol, overlooking everything in Panem. Our dance ended with our lips meeting and us leaving for District 3.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I am blowing through the Tour, because I have more plans for when they make the Capitol appearance. You may or may not see this coming. Depends if you expect the unexpected. I have a little bit of news. I am starting my own SYOT story called 'Death All Around'. If you want to send a tribute, go to my stories and find that story. The tribute form is there and all the information is there as well. Read and review on, guys! :)**


	8. Where I Love You

**A/N: I noticed a slight error in the last chapter I have posted. It said that Louis died from a mutt. But, he died in the bloodbath. That was my bad. Also, I intended District 4 to be unkind, on the verge of heartless. I'm going to tone that down in Districts 1 and 2. They are going to be more…hostile to Jada. I want to thank PeetasGirl8 for reviewing my stories, and saying they were great. :) Thank you to all of the people who have sent in tributes so far. I only have 5 out of 28, so tell your friends! **

When we arrived in District 3, it was only noon. I still couldn't shake Hollis's parent's remarks to me. How could parents be that cruel about their daughter's volunteering? My parents were upset, but they at least had faith that I would return. Hollis's parents gave up on her. I still have many questions that I know won't get answered.

Eleora dresses me up in a silver outfit, which represents the workings of wires. The dress was silver, and, stitched on, was different colored wires. Quaid wore a similar outfit, like anyone couldn't see that coming.

When I was in front of District 3, I tried to stay strong. I didn't kill Rahi or Malloy, but just seeing the worn down faces of their district forced me to choke back tears. I walked to the podium and said the only words that I could. I told them that it wasn't me who killed Rahi. I said that Malloy died at the hands of the mutts. I thanked them for sending their tributes, putting up a sacrifice, and allowing me and Quaid to come to their lovely district. I stepped down and let Quaid talk.

"Hello, District Three." He starts, his voice firm and outreaching. "Unlike Jada, I know who did kill Rahi. The killer was me." My mouth drops slightly. "The survival instinct kicked in when she reached for weapons. Her sword was pointed at me and I threw my spear in her stomach. I didn't want her to die slowly and painfully, but it just happened.

"Malloy was killed by lizard mutts. I didn't see which lizard killed him, but I am sorry for your losses. I don't mean to place more grief on you than I already did." He steps down and the mayor thanks us for our time. We are whisked away to the banquet hall, waiting for the entire district to arrive.

I pull Quaid aside. "When did you kill Rahi? We reached the Cornucopia at the same time and I didn't see her."

"I didn't. I took the fall for Lucifer's kill." The words sink in.

"Why would you do that? District Three will hate you now. You know-" He cuts me off.

"We will only be in District Three for only a few hours. They can hold a grudge for that long. And, if they watch our Hunger Games again, they'll find out Luce killed her. It's fine, Jada." He cups my face in his hands.

Our lips met and stayed interlocked for a few moments. When we let go, I kept staring into his emerald eyes. There is just something about his eyes that I can never, ever stop myself from looking at. They are just too perfect to not notice. After all, that was one of the first things I noticed about him.

Quaid and I took our seats at the head table. While District 3 citizens poured in, waiters and waitresses gave us our food. The waiter who waited on us poured me a glass of champagne, along with Quaid. The food was a wonderful spread. It was duck breast with a carrot sauce, with rolls shaped like flowers and little peas and onions on the side. Quaid and I enjoyed every moment of this dinner, not wanting the food to go to waste.

When our main course was finished, a few teenagers came up to us. They all had curly hair, but they were different shades of blond. Their builds were all different and they had similar blue-gray eyes. They must be related or they have similar traits.

"Jada, I just wanted to say that you are my favorite victor so far." A short, round girl said to me.

"Same goes for Quaid. You guys are so adorable together." A tall girl said right after.

"Can we ask you a question?" A boy with bright blond hair asked.

"Anything you want." I say back.

"Was killing people a lot of fun? Did you want to kill more than what you did?" The boy asks me.

I take my time answering this question. I didn't think killing tributes gave me a thrill. Or any excitement, for that matter. I would have wanted to kill fewer tributes than I did, next to none even. As I took my time thinking about this, the gleam in the teenager's eyes grew brighter.

I open my mouth to answer. "Depending on the kill, yes, it was rather thrilling. But, I wouldn't want to kill anymore tributes than I did." I tell him, his eyes flickered with approval.

"Thank you Jada. Can you sign this?" He shoves a napkin in my face, along with a pen with the Panem seal on it. I sign my name sloppily and hand him back the napkin. The group runs off, happy that they talked to me.

Dessert comes by with a flourish. It was a large cake, topped with something that made it shine. The mayor, a slim, worn out woman, holds the microphone to her mouth. "In honor of the victors, we have a special dessert. Talus, would you mind?" Talus, a server in white clothing, nods and sets the cake ablaze. It lights up the whole banquet hall, receiving many oohs and ahhs.

The cake tasted phenomenal. I was temped to ask for seconds, but I fought my temptation. Everyone else needed to try the fire cake. When dessert was all handed out and tasted, we were invited to the dance floor.

Like normal, dancing wraps up our time in the district. We board the train and make our way to District 2.

_I wake up in our camp. Quaid, Flitter, Camilla, Lucifer, and Devin are still sleeping. The fire is nothing but faint glowing embers and the sky is starting to lighten up. I stand up, looking around me. The trees sway with the slight breeze, the birds chirp their morning melody, and the only thing you can hear is my fellow tributes sleeping._

_Suddenly, a high pitched scream pierces the air. I snap my head to my left, where the scream came from. None of the other tributes seem fazed by the scream; they are still sleeping. I run to the direction of the scream. I shove leaves from my face, move branches from my path, and scare every creature to get to the scream._

_Out in the open was Neal's body, a hunk of meat. Skylar's body was next to his, covered in blood. A little girl, with black silky hair and hazel eyes, stared at me. "It's okay, it's okay."_

"_They died in front of me!" She screams at me._

"_Faith!" I yell. "It's alright. You aren't going to die."_

_She crawls away from me, cowering. "Yes I am. You are going to kill me, aren't you?" She looks at the knife in my pocket._

"_No, no, no!" I say, putting the knife on the grass. "Never. Come here, you aren't going to die, Faith."_

_She stands up and slowly walks to me. With each step she takes, her appearance changes. Her skin turns pale, her eyes change to gray, and her hair is matted. When she reaches me, a knife is lodged in her back. It's the same knife that I ended her life with. She falls in front of me and a cannon fires._

_I turn her over; looking at the girl I killed. I hear a hissing noise in front of me. A lizard with black scales, hazel eyes, and a necklace with the number _7_ on it is staring at me. It hisses again, using its tongue to pick me up off the ground._

_It pulls me closer to its mouth as I scream. I kick and scream at the mutt, but it doesn't let me go. I am in its mouth, going into its stomach. I scream as I hear my cannon fire._

_I don't stop screaming._

"Jada!" A male voice calls to me. "Jada, wake up! You're dreaming!" I hit the voice, trying to make it shut up. He whimpers in agony as I keep hitting him.

"Let go of me!" I yell. The voice grabs my shoulders and shakes me. My eyes snap open and see Quaid's face and blood dripping from his nose.

I slow down my breathing as Quaid is over me. The blood from his nose keeps flowing, but he doesn't wipe it off. His lips touch my forehead, calming me down further. "Shh. It's okay, Jada. It's okay." He lies beside me, clutching my hands.

"It was terrible. I saw Faith and her mutt ate me." I say, reliving the nightmare.

"Shh. Shh. It's alright. The mutts aren't here, baby. You're safe with me." He pulls me closer to his body. I lay my head on his chest, feeling his heart bead. _Here is the place, where I love you._

Quaid opens his mouth and begins to sing. "Deep in the meadow, under the willow. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head, and close your eyes. And when they open, the sun will rise."

My heartbeat slows down and my eyes begin to shut. I have never heard Quaid sing before, but I knew if I was a mockingjay, I'd fall silent. I am silent. His voice is smooth like a knife cutting through butter. I let him sing the lullaby, until I am encircled by a dreamless sleep.

In District 2, I have never seen such beautiful scenery. Everything looked clean and right out of a textbook I used to use in school. I walked to the Justice Building in awe. In my personal opinion, District 10 has better scenery. But, I am not complaining here. No wonder why the Capitol prefers 2 over every other district. It's gorgeous.

Quaid and I wait behind the curtain. He hasn't let me leave his sight since my nightmare. He's always holding my hand and making sure that I'm fine. I still give him a hard time about his nose. It has cleared up, but I am going to keep teasing him about it.

Our outfits are similar, again. My dress is a ball gown, pooling at my feet. It has the hue of rocks and stone, the industry of 2. Quaid has on a tux the same color as my dress. His shoes were black dress up shoes, shined to perfection.

The mayor introduces us, and shows us to District 2. They clap out of respect and welcome us to their district. Quaid asked me if he could say his speech first, and I let him. He has to apologize for Lucifer's death, while I have to apologize for Camilla's. He clears his throat and begins speaking.

"Hello, District Two. I know some of you don't want me to be here. Some of you do, but I just want to say that I am sorry. Luce…I mean Lucifer was a strong contender. He was arrogant at times, but that's not the reason I killed our chariot rides, Lucifer told me that he got first dibs to kill the District Ten tributes while I had to kill the District Eleven tributes. After I met Jada, I told him not to kill her. He laughed in my face and told me, 'You only want her alive so you can have her in the bedroom, right?'

"So, I guess I could say many things compelled me to kill your male tribute. But, I am sorry for killing him the way I did. I was only protecting Jada. Thank you for listening." He steps down and lets me take over.

As I walk to the podium, I can help but to think about Quaid's reason. Did Lucifer really say that? Is that the _only _reason that he killed Luce? I stared at the District 2 citizens, trying to pick out Camilla's family.

I started to speak. "Hello, District Two." Man, we always start with that. "I want to thank you for sending Camilla. She was a gladiator of a tribute, taking down anything that stood in her way. Her strategy of staying with her partner worked, getting her to the final three.

"I want to apologize for saying those hurtful things to her. I was trying to intimidate her, not scare her. I wasn't going to send her head back home on a platter. I didn't mean to carve _KILLER _into her arm. And, her death by the lizard mutts was the wrong way to kill her. I am truly sorry about her death and I hope you can forgive me." I step down, ready to move into the banquet hall.

The food comes around, but I barely taste any flavors. The champagne doesn't appeal to me. The flashes of the cameras didn't blind me anymore. The Tour has opened my eyes but left me numb in the process. I still feel remorse for killing their children, but it was greater in the arena.

During my dance with Quaid, I stay close to his body. I can still hear him singing.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm._

_Here, the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true._

_Here is the place, where I love you._

Our dance ends with him kissing my lips. Our passionate kiss drags on for several moments before we break apart. I let the night flow and I am ready for the last district. District 1.


	9. District 1

As we were heading back to the train, we were stopped by several people. They wanted photos with us, to ask us questions, and to sign anything that I could. My hand is going to fall off before we reach District 1. When we were boarding, a man and a woman stopped me. They had a similar appearance to Camilla. I assumed they were her parents.

"Jada, how could you…?" The woman says, before breaking down.

"You mercilessly killed our Cami." The man says, holding onto his wife. "You made her death longer than it should have been. Why couldn't you kill her quickly? Honey, please sit down." He sets his wife on the cement and pulls out a letter. He jams it in my palm and raises his voice at me. "Read that. It's the letter Cami wrote us the day of the Reaping. And why she did what she did."

He pulls up his sobbing wife and runs off. Quaid and I glance at each other, wondering what just happened. As we enter our compartment car, I glance at the letter. The parchment and handwriting were flawless. It had hints of graphite on it, practically sprinkled on the note.

I sit on the couch, Quaid beside me, as I read Camilla's letter.

_Mom and Daddy,_

_I know you wanted me safe from the Hunger Games. But, there is something I should tell you. Remember, every day since I was twelve, when I left the house with my friends from eight in the morning and didn't return until dinner? Well, I was at the Training Academy. I know my way around knives, spears, swords, mallets. I know how to set up a snare, start a fire, and kill animals. And, I know how to win the Quarter Quell._

_Daddy, you told me many times not to volunteer. But, the Academy says that I should. They announced it two days ago and said I was the girl volunteer. The boy will be Lucifer Cunnings. He and I will go to the Games, but only I will come back. It's hard for me to write this, and harder for me to leave you. But, I want to bring pride on you guys and District 2. Please, don't stop me. I will do what I have to do to win. Even if that means killing everyone in my way._

_I love you both so much. I'll see you when I return._

_Camilla._

She was what I expected. She was arrogant, overconfident, and unforgiving. She wanted to leave, despite her parent's wishes, for the Hunger Games. I cover my mouth with my hand. She was so sure that she was going to win; she said that only she will come back. I place the note down on the coffee table and stare at nothing. Salty water stings my eyes.

Quaid inches closer to me. Comforting me, he places his arm around my shoulder. I touch his fingertips, feeling the heat radiate from his hand. I take in a deep breath. I whip my head around and look deep into his emerald eyes. The same question has been bugging me since we left District 3.

"Why did you cover up for Luce?" I ask. His eyes flicker, but his expression doesn't change.

"For killing Rahi?" I nod to his question. "Well, I don't know. A part of me felt terrible for killing Lucifer so early in the Games. Another part of me felt like I just needed to apologize for her death. She was only fourteen, one of the younger tributes. Those tributes are what everyone goes after. My training coach called them 'easy pickings'."

"So, apologizing for a death that you didn't cause was suggested by your training coach?" I ask, irritation rising inside me.

"No. Nothing like that. I just felt bad that Rahi…"

"Died so early?" I finished, standing up and moving towards the bed.

"Yes. I guess you could say that." He says, moving with me. "How about I tell you all about District One?" He sits on the bed, pulling me onto his lap.

I agree, reluctantly, and he starts jabbing away about his home. We talked about this in the Games, but I have forgotten most of it. Quaid filled me in that there are a multitude of jewelry shops and clothing boutiques. Some of the richer citizens wear diamond encrusted clothing, while the poorer citizens only wear fake jewels. The part where he grew up is nicknamed Crystal, because everything seems to dazzle and glisten. Most of the citizens are wealthy and love their jewels more than anything.

Then he described the Academy. The Training Center in the Capitol is more marvelous than the Training Academy in District 1, but this is also marvelous. Every weapon imaginable is there, everything you need to know about survival is there. Anything and everything is there. And, like I remembered from Quaid's explanation in the Games, the way you can volunteer is to get the highest training score. It is almost like performing for the Gamemakers, only you have to use every station. You have to do everything to perfection, or they dock points.

Listening to him talk about his home was soothing. I meant to rest my eyes, but I drifted of to a dreamless sleep instead.

When I awaken, sunlight is pouring onto my face. I am under the covers, with Quaid beside me. His eyes are still closed, still sleeping. I have to face 1 alone, just like he faced my district alone. What will I say about Flitter? Well, she did tackle me to the ground before Quaid killed her. I could say she was strong. I sit up and rub sleep from my eyes. I exit the bed and make way to the shower.

I press multiple buttons before I get used to the showers again. Rose scented shampoo is doused on my hair, rubbed in and washed out in a matter of minutes. I click the temperature to warm, and fast, warm water is beating on my back. I clean the rest of my body and exit. I press a button and blow dryers remove every droplet of water from my body. I wrap a towel around me and leave the bathroom.

Eleora snatches me up and promptly gets me ready. She weaves pearls into my brown hair, curling it and placing up to ten pearls a strand. My make-up is a silver shade, to coincide with the colors of diamonds. The dress I am placed in is a diamond encrusted ball gown, with the gems on the top half of it. The heels also have diamonds on them, and I looking like a glowing diamond.

"One more thing." Eleora says, fetching the tiara District 1 made for me. It is still dazzling, probably more so than when I received it in District 14. She places it gently on my head, trying not to harm her hard work on my hair. "There. That little girl from Fourteen was right. You do look like a princess."

"You really think so?" I ask, twirling in the gown.

"I know so. You might even wear this in the Capitol for your interview." She says before escorting me out the train.

Quaid wasn't lying. The Justice Building is in the Crystal part of District 1, and everything dazzled like my dress. I saw a few of the citizens. If they died their skin and hair color, they could move to the Capitol and fit right in. I hear the mayor announce my name and the only sound I hear is from little girls, awing my dress.

I am hugged by the mayor, given the plaque and flowers, and move my way to the podium.

"Hello." I start off. "I just want to start by saying how grateful I am to have been given this wonderful gift from you. I was in awe by its beauty, and I almost didn't want to wear it. I want to thank you so much." Shouts and screams ripple through the crowd.

"I also wanted to apologize for Flitter. I didn't personally kill her. Quaid did, protecting me. I thank you for sending her in the Hunger Games. She was strong. She survived being tied to a tree for days. And, I thank you for sending Quaid to the Games. Before him, I didn't know if I had a purpose in life. I thought I would grow up to be a farmer's daughter my whole life. But, Quaid showed me different. He showed me that, despite where you come from, we can all get along. He could have killed me, no questions asked. But, he let me live. And I thank you for sending him once again." I step down, wiping stray tears from my cheeks.

I swear, even District 14 could hear the screams from this crowd.

I moved my way down to the crowd, gladly taking pictures with the people. I signed as many pieces of paper and napkins and everything that were shoved at me. A few teenagers did ask for tips on the Games, but I only told them vague hints. As I looked through the crowd, the majority of them had blond hair and green eyes. But none could compare to Quaid.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I saw a Flitter look a like in front of me. She looked exactly like her, by her hair, eyes, and bone structure. Even the voice sounded the same.

"I just wanted to let you know that I think Quaid did the right thing protecting you." She said, looking around. "Not many girls have the manners like you do. You are proper, probably because of how you were raised. Some girls here grow up in the Slum, the poor part of One, and become prostitutes at sixteen. Flitter was almost like them."

"Who are you?" is the only thing I can get out.

"Dazzle, Flitter's twin sister." That explains the looks. "Anyway, keep Quaid close, alright? He's a pretty handsome guy." With that, she moved away from me, getting lost in the crowd.

Eleora escorts me back onto the train. She insists that I sit and wait for her to remove the pearls from my hair. As pearl by pearl comes out, I think of Dazzle. Did she really mean it? I didn't think I was proper. I thought I turned into a monster because of the Games. Maybe I didn't change at all.

My hair is pearl free and I make my way to the compartment car where Quaid and I are staying. When I walk in, I see Quaid watching old Hunger Games. It was the fifth Quarter Quell. I can tell because an eight year old girl is being interviewed by Dusk. I think she was from 7 or 9, but she didn't make it past the bloodbath.

I sit down next to Quaid, his emerald eyes looking at me. "How was it?" He places an arm around me as the next tribute gets interviewed.

"Do you know anyone named Dazzle?" I ask.

"Dazzle? Yes, she was a girl I used to train with." He replies, staring at the television. "Why?"

"She came up to me and said that I was proper, better than Flitter. Did you know that she…"

"And Flitter are twins." He says with me. "I trained with Dazzle, remember? I knew who her family was." He pecks my temple as we turn our attention to the T.V. Tomorrow evening, that'll be us being interviewed by Dusk.

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I want to thank PeetasGirl8 for giving me shout out after shout out for my stories and my SYOT. Speaking of which, we only need 14 more tributes! I need both from 3 and 5, the male from 6 and 8, both from 9 and 10, the male from 11 and 12, and both from 13. Please send some younger tributes. Make some with the ages of 12 through 14, please! And I want to thank mar9215 for sending me some awesome tributes. Thank you, number one fan! Read and review on!**


	10. Roadbump

The train ride to the Capitol was longer than I expected. I took several naps and we still weren't there. Since the 90th Hunger Games, the trains have been improved so they run ten times faster. That's why the ride between districts was so fast. It wasn't until the train came to a complete stop that I knew something was wrong.

The train stopped with so much force, it knocked me to the ground. And, I wasn't in our private compartment. Annabelle, Shimmer, and Eleora lost their balance. "What in the world was that?" Duce asked, clutching a chair.

"It was the train." Annabelle answers, regaining her balance. Quaid helped me up back into my chair.

"Are we out of fuel?" Quaid asks.

"I'm not sure. I'll ask the conductor." Annabelle takes Eleora with her to the conductor car.

"They could have stopped slower. They almost knocked the purple out of my hair." Kiani complained.

"Can you worry about something other than your fake hair?" Shimmer snaps. Kiani turns her head to the District 1 mentor.

"Yes, I can. This roadblock will ruin our schedule!"

"Damn it!" Shimmer clutches a knife and chucks it at my escort. Kiani dodges it and the knife sticks to the wall behind her. If she didn't move, the knife would have gone through her head.

Shimmer's cheeks grow red, and she runs out of the train. Not before grabbing a handful of knives. Kiani screeches at Shimmer to bring them back, but Shimmer keeps running into wilderness. Something that I have noticed since this Tour began: between every district is wilderness.

Everyone in the train is silent. I want to run after Shimmer, but what do I say? Quaid has more knowledge about Shimmer than I do. I only know her Games and why she is a bit heartless. I don't know anything personal. Quaid stands up and chases after his mentor. I move to go with him, but he tells me no.

"I think she wants to talk to me." He explains before he runs out.

I sit back down, waiting for anything to happen. A door opens and Annabelle and Eleora come back from the conductor car. Annabelle bats at her bangs before speaking.

"The conductor said that the fuel needs to be refilled, and we blew something that will take five or six hours to fix." Kiani's moans fill the train.

"No! That will ruin our schedule!" She slumped in her chair, something I have never seen before.

"The conductor already contacted President Rector, explaining our situation." Eleora announces. "He said we can take all the time we need, and he will just push back the schedule."

Annabelle takes a look around. "Where are Shimmer and Quaid?" Duce points outside.

"Shimmer got a little pissed and ran out. Quaid is going to calm her down."

"Is that why the knife is in the wall?" Eleora asks. Everyone nods in response.

Great. I have five or six hours to do nothing. I go back into my compartment car, grab some clothes and change. Simple jeans, a gray tee shirt with the faded Panem seal on it, and boots. It feels so good to be in jeans again. After a few weeks of wearing dresses, I feel like my old self.

I turn on the T.V and watch the Capitol news. It's what I expected; they are already talking about the delay in the Victory Tour. I love the nickname they gave us, Panem's Cutest Couple. From our delay to the next Hunger Games, they talk about how special they will be. Even though it is not a Quarter Quell, they plan to make it feel like one. The arena will be deadly, the twists and turns will make you dizzy, and the weapons will be the best of the best. And, all 14 districts will compete. How fantastic.

Their news then switches to our Capitol appearance and how special it will be. They are inviting back past victors, but they didn't say who is coming. They keep saying that they will have to pace themselves about taking about this event, because even they are so giddy. Capitol people can get giddy about the stupidest things.

Quaid has been gone for a long time. I have been watching Capitol news for over an hour and he still hasn't come back. I stand up and walk to the compartment car where Annabelle was. They are all still there, eating up some food while the time passes. Shimmer isn't there, and I assume she's outside. I sneak a few knives in my hand and walk out onto the dirt.

Birds sang their song and wildlife walked about. I grabbed one knife and threw it at a nearby tree. It struck dead center. I pulled it out and continued to walk. I saw a head covered in blond hair and I knew it was Shimmer. Beside her, a muscular man was rubbing her back, telling her it was okay. I walked closer, trying not to be heard.

"I just don't know what happened back there." She says between sobs. "I think they all hate me now."

"No, no, no." Quaid's comforting voice said. "They don't hate you. They are surprised at your…outburst. Not you personally." A knife whizzed in the air and hit a tree. It hit the trunk, and Shimmer sighed.

"Even my aim is off. I never miss." She's telling the truth. In her Games, she was feared because how skilled she was at knives. "When we reach the Capitol, I'll be nothing but old news."

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"The only reason why I am even on this Tour is because of you and that Ten girl." She says, her voice growing with rage. "If I could choose, I'd be at my home in Victor's Village. Probably wishing Jeremiah was back. Why couldn't you just kill her?"

"I couldn't kill someone I love." Quaid says moving back from his mentor. "It wasn't your fault Jeremiah died. It was…"

"It _was _my fault!" she screeches. "If I didn't stop keeping watch…" She starts to scream and clutches her knife. Her knuckles turned white and she looked at Quaid. The knife is raised above her head, ready to strike.

I come out from behind the tree and step in front of my lover. I wasn't fast enough. The knife came undone from her fingers and embedded itself into my right shoulder. I stumbled back onto Quaid's body and almost hit the forest floor. Shimmer's eyes widened as she saw what she caused. Tears were released and they consumed her face. Her hand covered her mouth as she ran back to the train.

My head was in Quaid's lap. His fingers were stroking my hair, and his eyes looked into mine. Pain was radiating from both of our eyes. "Jada. Why did you do that?" His voice rang in my ears.

"She could have hurt you. Probably even killed you." I say, not looking away from him. His lips quivered into a small smile as he leaned in and kissed my forehead. I hear shouts and screams and I hear Eleora's voice. Shimmer got help. I turn my head to the right and see Eleora, Shimmer, and Annabelle running in my direction. In Annabelle's hand was a white box with a red cross on it.

When they reached my side, Annabelle quickly injected me with sleeping medicine. The commotion was quickly replaced with darkness and silence.

_60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55…The Cornucopia counts down. Before I have time to react, the clock stops. It just stops. It still reads 54. I look around and I am the only tribute on my starting plate. The clock hasn't completed its countdown, thus the mines were still activated. I didn't dare to test it. I didn't want to lose my body._

_From the inside of the Cornucopia, I see a figure moving. When they emerge, I see deep raven hair in a tangled mess and gray eyes. She was wearing a plain white dress that matched her skin tone. I recognized that girl. It was Faith._

"_Faith!" I yell. "Don't step on the…" Faith places her foot on the ground where the mines were. She wasn't flying sky high or lying on the ground in a million pieces. She was walking slowly towards me. Another figure emerged from the Cornucopia. Her skin was gray, her eyes were beady black, and a knife print was on her palm. It was Jae._

_Jae also wore a white dress. One by one, all of the dead tributes come out from the horn of plenty. Their skin ranges from white to dark gray, their eyes were black, gray, or white, and they were clothed in white. Even Flitter, her sunny blond hair was now a dim shade of yellow and her perfect green eyes were now reduced to a dim gray shade, was there._

_They all started walking towards me. I counted as many as I could. I got twenty. I counted again. Twenty again. Where is Quaid? Is he dead? I heard my name being moaned from behind me. When I turned, a bloody liquid was being spilled everywhere. The ground changed from a lush forest to a blood lake. A small object floated its way towards my plate. When it came in close range, I recognized it._

_It was my sponsor knife with the purple tinted handle._

_The blood lake spread from behind me and drowned everything in its path. Everything except for the already dead tributes in front of me. They kept walking towards me, with hatred in their faces. Faith led the group, keeping them in perfect step with her. When her left foot moved, so did theirs. The blood lake already swallowed up the Cornucopia weapons and set them adrift._

_Faith stopped in front of me and muttered my name. She also muttered her cause of death. Jae followed her example. Then Neal did the same. Then Lucifer, Flitter, Camilla, Rahi, Collin, Stiles, Louis, and everyone else. When they all finished, Faith jumped up and lunged towards me. Her hands pinned my shoulders and we fell into the bloody water._

_Water filled my lungs as Faith pushed me down further. I tried yelling at her, but the water overtook my sounds. Faith opened her mouth and someone else's voice said, "Jada! Jada, time to wake up now."_

_She said it again. When I figured out who the voice was, I opened my eyes. A blinding white light filled my vision and saw Quaid's mouth move. "Jada, wake up."_

I was in Quaid's arms when I came to. I sneak a glance to my right shoulder. It is all patched up with gauze and it has spots of blood all over it. The train was slowly moving, and I look out of the window. We just past the Capitol walls and we are at our final destination.

"How long was I out?" I ask, looking into his green eyes.

"For about thirteen or fourteen hours." He replies, and looks to my shoulder. "Shimmer says that she is sorry about the accident. She said she lost her temper and wanted the knife to hit anything but me or you. But, guess where we are headed first?"

"The interview?" I ask again.

"No. The Remake Center. We lost our 'Capitol charm' for being away for six months. We have to be plucked like chickens again. And, they will have medicine for your cut." He kisses my cheek as we look outside.

The train moved slower and slower as we approached the station. I get to my feet and grab a shirt that covers my wound. All I find is a gray shirt with District 10's faded seal on it. The sleeves reached my elbows, just enough to cover the wound. Quaid grabs my shirt and helps me out of the blood stained shirt. My top half is exposed, but only for a few seconds as he helps me into the District 10 shirt.

Trying to match me, he puts on a District 1 shirt. We interlock our fingers and make our way to the compartment car where we exit from. When we exit the train, I am greeted by camera flashes and journalists asking me questions. Eleora and Cleo lead us into the Remake Center, so we can look 'Capitol appropriate'.

I never thought I would be in the Remake Center, let alone be in there twice.

**A/N: Sorry for not posting yesterday. I am really busy with band camp and I don't get home until three. And by that time, I am completely exhausted. I hope you liked this chapter! I want to say that I still have spots left for my tribute story. 11 spots to be exact. Thank you all who sent a tribute and sent multiple ones. I am so grateful for that. I especially want to thank PeetasGirl8, mar9215, and ActressAssassin2010 for sending 4 tributes! Thank you so much for submitting!**


	11. The Last Interview

My leg hair is ripped off, my eyebrows are plucked, and my hair has been given more color. I am given a fluffy bathrobe and asked to stay seated for Eleora to come in. The interview comes first, then the elaborate dinner. I sit and wait for my stylist to come in. All of this makes me feel like I am reliving my Hunger Games. I look out the window and notice the sun preparing to set. The interview will last about one hour, and we are going to be whisked away to President Rector's mansion for the best dinner of my life.

My knife wound is still there, but it is only a small cut. It could be mistake for a dog scratching me. I click a button and a small snack is given to me by an Avox. A glass of orange juice, a bagel with jam spread on it, and a cookie. I nibble on the food, noticing even the simplest foods taste like the most elaborate. I place my food down as I wait.

The door opens and Eleora walks in. She smiles, and asks, "Are you my newest tribute?"

I nod as a smile creeps on my face. "Yes I am. My name is Jada and I plan to win." Eleora smiles and she heats up a hair curler.

"Okay, Jada. You will be dressed in something Capitol worthy." She says, walking towards a built in closet. A number of flashy dresses appear before me. "You will be wearing a golden shade, golden like grain. You will also wear the tiara District One gave you."

She runs through multiple outfits. She wants a golden ball gown, something I have worn a lot since I have been on this tour. It also needs to have enough class for me to wear a tiara on my head. My hair is going to be curled, whether it is in loose or tight curls isn't up to me. Multiple dresses are in my view, but I can't decide. Only Eleora can.

She finally lays out a floor length dress. It was golden like grain, with diamonds sewn into the top half, where my chest would be. The tiara is also laid out, and Eleora lays out golden shoes adorned with glitter. I am helped into my interview outfit, and my hair is done in loose curls with glitter sprinkled on me.

Eleora looks at me and places a bracelet with a _10 _on my wrist. "You've been gone from home for so long." She whispers. "Do you miss District Ten?"

"More than anything." I say as she puts on my make up.

"I had a feeling you did. I miss my home too." I stare at her.

"Don't you live in the Capitol?" I ask. She looks down, pretending to be busy.

"Yes, Jada. I do." She replies, placing another bracelet on my wrist. "But, my home where I was born in is in District Five. I haven't been there in years, and I don't remember much from my childhood there."

"Why aren't you there anymore?"

"Well, I was one of the wealthier families. My mother decided, to save my soul from the Hunger Games, to move the family here. It was only me, my mother, and my father. We made a ridiculous lie that we came from another country. And, here I am." She sighs and looks at the clock. "Oh my goodness. We have to get you to the stage!"

A quick relocation later and I am under the stage. They want to do a fantastic introduction this year, and that involves me and Quaid rising from under the stage while countless special effects go off around us. The musty smell still lingers underneath the stage. I don't think they'll ever clean where it is coming from.

I am standing on my respective plate when I hear roars and shouts above me. I hear Dusk's signature musical entrance and I hear her dance on stage. A few minutes of shouting later, Dusk calms the crowd down so she can speak. "Hello Panem. I am Dusk Shine and I am here for a special occasion. Six months ago, we had our seventh Quarter Quell. By your begging, the tribute from One and Ten escaped with their lives. And with their love. You know them! Help me welcome Jada Caldwell and Quaid Ethers!"

My plate begins to rise and an upbeat song is played. Smoke litters the stage as the crowd roars and screams for us. Multi-colored lights flash and I am completely in the open. Everyone is screaming my name. I turn to my left and see Quaid, waving to the crowd. I follow his lead, and move my way towards him. When we reach each other, we interlock our fingers and raise our hands in the air. The crowd might as well lose their voices at this point.

Dusk Shine beckons us to sit beside her in the loveseat the Capitol has provided. The music dies down and the crowd hushes one another. Dusk smiles at us, flashing her uncommonly white teeth. "It's a pleasure to see you both back in the Capitol."

"It's a pleasure being here again." Quaid says, rubbing his hand through his golden hair. His stylist placed him in a tux with a dim yellow color, the color of a squash. Not very flattering, but it contrasts with my grain gold dress.

"Jada, how did you adjust to being back home in Ten?" Dusk asks, looking directly at me.

I take a deep breath and tell her the truth. "I adjusted quickly. The nightmares subsided and I resumed work on my farm. But, I was quite lonely without Quaid beside me." Sounds of adoration escape the crowd.

"You don't live in the Victor Village house?" She asks, a confused expression on her face.

"I gave it to my friend Hadley, who I volunteered for." I reply.

"Oh, listen to that. After winning the Hunger Games, she is still very humble and caring." Claps are all over the room. Maybe giving up my Victor Village home was a good thing. It won some Capitol citizens over.

"Quaid, was your adjustment that quick?" She turns her attention to my lover.

He smiles and looks at her. "Honestly, no. Since I won the Games, normally girls will throw themselves at the male victor. And that's just what they did. They tormented me about Jada, saying that she'll forget about me. I'm glad she didn't. After five months of dealing with that, I hopped on the train and rode to District Ten to see her."

"These two are the cutest couple in the whole country! Give it up for these two lovebirds!" As people cheered, Quaid snuck a quick kiss onto my lips.

The hour quickly goes by. We tell her about life without each other, after the Games, and how we fell for each other. We also talk about the other districts, and how the speeches went. I was truthful about 7 and 9. I told her how I almost broke down in tears about Jae and Omar, and how I could barely talk about Kade and Faith without feeling guilty about their deaths.

We discussed so much in an hour; I thought my head was going to burst. Then, the inevitable comes. We talk about the future of our relationship.

"Now, last time we saw you, you two weren't sure where you will settle down. Did you two come up with a decision?"

"Well, Dusk, we decided on settling down in District One." Quaid says. Oh, God. I hated that conversation we had about that. It was after we visited 5 and on our way to 4.

_As we watched Capitol broadcastings, Quaid and I laughed at the silliness of the shows. The plots were terrible, the jokes were even worse, and the celebrities had too much of a costume on. One show we watched had the characters dressed up like ponies. At least it was entertaining._

_Quaid turned down the volume and looked at me. "You know, we should discuss where we will live." My stomach churned._

"_Yeah." I say, watching the Capitol people on T.V. "But where?"_

"_Why don't we live in a new district? Like Seven? Or Nine? You know we will only make this decision once." Quaid locks fingers with mine._

"_No. I want to live in a place familiar to me. Like Ten." I reply, thinking of Caldwell Farm._

"_I understand, but going by that idea, then we should live in One." He shoots at me. "If you want to live somewhere familiar, so do I."_

"_Okay, Mister Brattypants." I say, blowing my bangs from my eyes. "Why should we live in One?"_

_He lists countless reasons. The people are friendly, the buildings are nice, and the homes are even better. And, if we have children, we can send them to the Training Academy and secure their lives from the Hunger Games._

"_What are your reasons on living in Ten?" he asks, directing his eyes to me._

"_The atmosphere is inviting, the animals are the best part, and there are so many wonders hidden in the district." I say._

"_But our children might get Reaped and die in the Hunger Games." He retorts._

"_Goodness, is that all you think about?" I mimic him about the Games. 'Our children will die if we live in Ten.' 'Our children will win if we live in One.'_

_I knew I went too far. His eyes flare with rage and he shoots up from the couch. He begins to pace around the room._

"_You're acting like District One is terrible!" He shouts._

"_I could say the same thing about you and District Ten!" I yell back._

"_Are you always this much of a brat?"_

"_Look whose talking! You only care about your interests. Not mine!"_

_He storms out of the compartment car and goes to the public car. I turn my attention back to the T.V. An hour later, he comes back in and he has cooled down. He tells me he's sorry and that I can choose where we live._

I'm glad that day is over.

"And you will travel back to be a mentor to new District Ten tributes and see your family?" Dusk asks.

"Yes I will." I reply.

The hour is almost complete and Dusk gets ready to sign off. "Well, Panem. These two lovers have fought tooth and nail to…"

"Excuse me." Quaid stands up and cuts Dusk off.

"Anything you wish to add?" Dusk asks.

Quaid nods and looks at me. Kneeling on one knee, he looks straight into my eyes.

"Jada, when I first met you, you looked so beautiful in your chariot outfit." He begins, his eyes filling with emotional tears. "I looked at you and wanted you to be my partner for the Games. When the wish came true, I was ecstatic. We fought through everything in the arena to be where we are now. And, if the citizens of the Capitol didn't ask for both of us to survive, I couldn't be asking you this."

He pulls a tiny velvet box from his pocket. My hand flies to my mouth, covering any sounds that may escape. My eyes let out tears, and I couldn't stop them. He opened the box, exposing a silver ring with a diamond in the middle. The ring had our names engraved on the sides. Tears escape his eyes and Dusk begins to cry.

"Will you marry me?" I could barely speak. My reply was a head nod and my left hand being extended out to him. The ring slides onto my finger with no fault. I sneak a glance to the crowd and I see a multitude of them sobbing.

I stand up and hug my fiancée. Dusk wipes her tears away and signs us off. When I volunteered for Hadley, I thought I would surely die. Nothing good would have come out from the death match where only one can survive. But, I found Quaid. My one and only, my other half, my…my new husband to be.

**A/N: AWE! Isn't that sweet? I told you that you may see this coming or not, depending if you expected the unexpected. I want to thank ActressAssassian2010 for reviewing my story and congratulations for your first story! You all should check it out. It is some pretty awesome stuff. Only one chapter, but it is still amazing. I need 10 more tributes for _Death All Around_. Please tell your friends to send more and, if you have sent less than 4 tributes, please send another. Thank you so much and thanks for reading!**


	12. Dancing With Danger

I was walking on air when we were escorted to President Rector's mansion. Before the party starts, we need to take our Victor Picture to hang in our respective Justice Building's. I am stripped from my dress and placed in the outfit we wore in the arena. The Capitol started the Victor Picture ritual after the 115th Hunger Games. They wanted something special to remember their victors by.

My cameraman asked me to give him an intense look. I tilted my head down slightly and looked at him. When he snapped my picture, he asked for another look. I went through venerable, sexy, cocky, arrogant, funny, witty, and mysterious. My final picture is me being humble, which is just me with a small smile. The man lowered his camera and looked at me with red eyes. His colored contacts were a crimson shade, making him look vicious.

"You looked gorgeous!" he gushed to me. "The editing process will be done when the party is complete and you can look at your Victor Picture then, alright sweetie?"

"Yes. Thank you so much." I say and walk out of the Photo Room.

Eleora has me dressed in an elaborate ball gown. She calls it 'Cinderella Style', but I don't know what that means. The corset is fitting until the dress reaches my hips. From there it flows out, circling me in the dress. The dress is a silver shade, and it shimmers in the light. My shoes are clear glass slippers, with a two inch heel. I am wearing gloves that go to my elbows and the tiara District 1 gave me is proudly sitting on top of my curled hair.

When she finishes my make-up, she takes a step back. I twirl for her, by request, and she nods in approval. "Quaid is lucky the Capitol citizens wanted you both to live." She says, walking closer to me. "This is my finest outfit yet, my darling. Wear it well." She holds my hand in hers, and she walks me to the grand ball room.

Everyone from the Capitol is awaiting my entrance. When my name is announced, whistles and hoots and hollers bounced off the high walls and ceiling. I walk through the door with Eleora, and Annabelle comes up to me. Her outfit was a white knee length dress with pale pink flowers all over, white flats, and her hair was straight down her back. A flower pinned back her bangs, allowing everyone to see her eyes.

She slips her hand through mine, and they are walking me to my fiancée. The Capitol citizens made a walkway for me, my mentor, and my stylist to come through. I see Quaid at the large window at the end of the ball room, with a slick black tuxedo on. A rose is in his pocket and he couldn't stop smiling. Neither could I. I couldn't stop thinking about my wedding and my handsome husband-to-be.

Annabelle and Eleora passed me off to Quaid, who wrapped his hand around my waist. His lips contacted mine, and we were the only two in a fantasy ball room. Every time I kissed him, I felt like I wasn't even in Panem. I was in a far off country. I remember learning about them in school. One country called Ireland stuck out to me. I saw beautiful pictures of the landscape and old castles. Castles that haven't been lived in for years with cracked stone and ivy growing up the side. Landscape with lush, green grass and overlooking the ocean. That is where I was whenever I kissed Quaid.

I wonder what it is like to live in a country with no Hunger Games.

Our kiss ended, and everyone dispersed to the food. Tables upon tables of food were laid out. I don't even think I've heard of some of the food. I grabbed some familiar foods and a few new ones. I wasn't going to eat everything, because I just might burst out of my dress.

"That's quite a spread they have." Quaid jokes. He picks a glazed chicken leg from the table.

I giggle. "Yes. I don't think I'll eat everything."

"Me either." He admits. "Just eat until you're done. Don't stuff yourself, baby."

As we eat our food, countless citizens want their pictures taken with me and Quaid. Some just want them with me. Others just want Quaid. Either way, pictures were constantly being taken. I could barely get a piece of food in my mouth before another person wanted a picture. I hid my frustration behind my eyes and posed for the pictures.

Countless minutes later, we are ushered to the dance floor. As usual, Quaid and I take the first dance. With his hands on my hips and mine around his neck, everything seems natural. I felt like I didn't even win the Games. I felt like a normal Capitol citizen, dancing with her new husband. I sure look the part, minus the rainbow colored skin and crazy colored eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Panem's newest couple, Jada Caldwell and Quaid Ethers!" A voice says over the loud speakers. Quaid spins me around as the crowd approves with their claps. We take our bows and the voice speaks again. "Everyone is welcomed to the dance floor. Dance with everyone and, possibly, one of the lovebirds."

Quaid was pulled into a dance with a Capitol citizen who looked no older than twenty. I was left alone in the middle of the dance floor, waiting for someone to dance with. A tap on my shoulder spun me around. In front of me was a man with white hair and beard, sunken in features, and a suit with a handkerchief in the pocket.

President Rector stretches out his hand. "May I have a dance?" His lips curl into a smile as I take his hand.

"Yes, you may." I reply, being pulled closer to our leader. He smelt like parchment and chalk. He moved me to the center of the dance floor, spinning me around.

"I just want to say thank you for letting me and Quaid live." I say, looking into his gray eyes. "I'm so grateful for being with him that I won't let anything happen to him."

He spun me in a circle and made me face away from him. He pulled me towards him, by back against his stomach. "I normally don't that, you know. I let you both live, because you are such a special pair."

I turn back around, making sure I can see his eyes. "I don't know how I can thank you. But, I have a question."

"Go on, ask." He says, swaying to the music with me.

"Did you let me live because of where I come from?" The words slip out faster than I can control them. "My family provides the best of the best meat from District Ten. Is that why you let me live?"

Shock crosses President Rector's face. The music continues to swell, and he releases me. He thanks me for the dance and walks away. I want to walk after him, to know where he is going. I step off the dance floor, crane my neck, but I lost sight of our leader. I am standing alone, with no one to speak to or dance with. I move over to the dessert table.

I pick up a round ball of chocolate and place it in my mouth. Why did I say that? I was just so caught up about why Quaid and I both won. And what Annabelle said before the Hunger Games recap and crowing of the victor. _Of course he would let you live at his expense. He wants to see the daughter of a wealthy family happy. _Annabelle was right. He let me live because of his expense. If I would have died, my family might have been so heartbroken that they let the quality of the produce slip. It would slip even worse and become the worst meat available.

As soon as the chocolate hits my stomach, acid travels up my throat. I run for the bathroom. When I see the toilet in front of me, I let the vomit run out of my mouth. It hits the water, and it just wouldn't stop. Everything I have eaten in the past twenty four hours is floating in the bowl. When I stop, I quickly wipe my lips and flush the vomit down. The smell quickly overpowers the bathroom. I sink onto the floor and rest my head against the cool wall.

I don't get sick eating chocolate. I normally don't get sick at all. My immune system is very strong. But, this chocolate changed that. What is wrong with me?

I get back onto my feet and go to the sink. I wash my mouth, inside and out. I try to rid the smell of vomit off of my breath. I clean my hands obsessively, trying to get as clean as possible before I go back out there.

"What is wrong with you?" I mutter under my breath. "Come on, Jada. Why are you sick? What is the matter?" I talk to myself like I am a child. I exit the bathroom, ready to face the Capitol citizens again.

I move my way to the dance floor, avoiding the chocolate. A boy with hazel green eyes looks at me. His ash blond hair was at a close cut and he wore a white dress shirt with black pants. He pushed his way through the crowd to meet me.

"Jada, am I right?" he asks. His voice is deep and manly. He looked about seventeen.

"Yes, I am. Are you…"

"Pace Caywood, yes I am." He finishes for me. I knew his eyes looked familiar. "I would like to dance with you. May I?"

I nod in response and grab his rough hand. "Yes." He leads me onto the dance floor and places his hands on my hips.

"So, you are well known for surviving with Quaid." He says, stating the fact that is known all over Panem.

"Yes. You are known for winning the Hunger Games last year." I say.

We sway to the music in perfect harmony. I haven't danced with anyone else but Quaid. Dancing with Pace felt just as smooth. My throat still stung from the accident in the bathroom. I can feel it threatening to come up again. I force it back down, trying to not vomit in front of everyone. My sickness worries disappeared when Pace spun me around, making my dress glimmer all over the floor. He dips me close to the ground, so my hair was touching the floor. He picks me back up, both hands on my lower back.

He smiles and I smile with him. "Jada, you see that door over there?" He points to a pale wooden door that says _Do Not Enter_. I nod. "President Rector told me that is where he stores all the Hunger Games ideas. Past Games, future Games. Would you like to take a peek?"

I bite my lower lip. That is President Rector's business. I have no need to go into that room. Why would I want to go in the room anyway?

Before I can answer, Pace is leading me to the door. His muscles ripple under his shirt and he keeps leading me there. Why does he want to show me that room? I could care less about Hunger Games ideas. I am being dragged against my will to a room where I don't want to go.

Pace opens the door and gives me a slight nudge inside. When I enter, I don't see anything but a supply closet. The door shuts and force hits my head. My knees go weak and I fall to the floor. Before my eyes close, I see Pace kneeling before me. His mouth moves, but no words come out. It takes a few moments and everything is pitch black.


	13. Find Me

When I wake up, I feel the cold floor against my temple. I am no longer in my dress. I am wearing cargo pants and a white blouse with a jacket over my shirt. I raise my head, and squint to see anything. I am in a basement of some sort. Cold bounces off the walls and lands on my skin. I try to evaluate where I am and how I got here. The only thing I remember is Pace taking me to a supply closet. Everything else is black. Does Quaid know I am missing?

Footsteps attack the floor. Multiple footsteps. In front of me are a few Peacekeepers and Pace. He had a smug look on his face, the look of a cocky person. He was still wearing his dress clothes from the ball. Did he change me from my dress into an outfit a tribute would wear?

"Morning, sweetheart." He says, kneeling down to see me eye to eye. "Have a nice sleep?"

"Where am I, Pace?" I spat in his face. "Why am I here? Where is Quaid? What are you-" He places a finger on my lips. His hands were warmer than my whole body.

"One question at a time, Jada." He replies. "And, why would I answer your questions? Why not ask someone of more authority than me?"

The Peacekeepers break their wall to reveal President Rector. He nonchalantly walked up to me and pulled me from the ground. I have never seen him with this much rage in his eyes. He drags me to the wall and slams my back against it. I hold back my screams and look strong for our leader. "What do you want to know?" he asks, his breath reeking of liquor.

"Why am I here?" I ask, his hand closing my windpipe.

"Simple." He starts. "You questioned me. Oh, you don't remember? Think back to last night's dance. No. I could have let you die in the arena if I wanted to. Cause a natural disaster to kill you. Bring out mutts and programed them to eat the tribute girl from Ten. But, why do you think I let you live?"

"My...family..." I choke out.

"We have a winner." He teases. "But, that's not the only reason. If you die, the meat production would suffer. That's why I tried keeping Caldwell's out of the Games. But, you ruined my intentions. The odds were in your favor, and you still questioned me. You take too much for granted, darling." He throws me to the ground, a loud _THUMP! _echoes off the walls.

He whispers to the Peacekeepers and Pace and leaves. Pace stares me down, as if I was a wounded animal. He will make my death longer than it needs to be. I'm sure of it.

_My eyes are bloodshot and I can't sleep without her by my side. I am constantly watching Panem News for any updates on her search. Why can't they find her? She's a victor, not just another citizen. They have to find her. I pick up my knees on the couch and hug them. I begin to curl myself into a ball. I can't do anything when she isn't here. It just doesn't seem worth it._

_Kiani and Duce can't stop making stupid comments on how I didn't keep my eye on her. Shimmer is watching the news with me, generally concerned about Jada. Annabelle is running the streets, asking anyone for information. Suddenly, the Panem seal flashes on T.V and I pay attention to whatever news they might be saying._

"_Hello, citizens of the Capitol." Dusk Shine starts off. "It has been fourteen hours since Hunger Games victor Jada Caldwell has disappeared. We still have no leads, but her mentor, Annabelle Tilson is out on the streets looking for anything to help out the investigation. Our field reporter, Juno Style, is out on the streets as well. Juno, have you found anything yet?"_

_The screenshot changes to Juno, who is wearing a flamboyant orange dress and an orange wig. Her Capitol accent is thick as she speaks. "Nothing to report yet, Dusk. The people are worried for her, but they don't know what to do."_

_I tune out. How can Juno say that? People are worried, but they are walking the streets like nothing is wrong. Tears prick my eyes and streak my cheeks. How could anyone just take my Jada and hide her away?_

_A hand strokes my hair. Shimmer's nails rub against my skull and clams me down a little bit, but the tears keep falling. "It's okay, Quaid. They'll find her, I promise."_

"_Why can't they find her now?" I ask through my sobs._

"_They don't have any leads." She answers me like I am a child. Her nails continue to rub my skull and make my eyes close. Is this the only way I can calm down? Her fingers move to my arms and continue to calm me down. Her nails make my nerves tingle and it begins to make me fall asleep._

_The tears begin to stop, but the streaks are still there. I lay on the couch, wishing for Jada to appear next to me. Where are you, Cowgirl?_

"Tell me." Pace yells in my face. "Are you planning an uprising?"

"No!" I say back to him. He congratulates my answer by dunking my whole body in water. Water filled my lungs as I am pulled back up to the surface. I cough the water out of my body as I reach air.

This has been going on for an hour. I thought I'd be dead by now. So much water entered my body, I thought I could die. Apparently, because I question my victory, I am planning another rebellion. Why would I want to start a third rebellion? That would end in more Hunger Games. Pace's eyes glazed over to my knife wound from Shimmer. He asks the Peacekeepers for something and they hand him a knife.

"Answer me correctly." He says, pointing the knife at my face. "Are you...planning...an uprising?" The knife moves to the scar on my right shoulder.

"I am not planning an uprising!" I say, almost spitting in his face.

"Whatever you say, darling." The knife breaks my skin and blood begins to flow. My screams bounce off the walls and echo back into my ears. The warm sticky blood oozes down my shoulder and into the pool of water.

Something else appears in Pace's hand. It looked like a spoonful of sugar. He kept asking me the uprising question. When I replied no, he dumped the white stuff into my wound. It took me a second to realize it wasn't sugar. It was salt. My wound burned as I let out a yell of agony. He dunked me back into the water. The wound still stung, but the water minimized the pain.

When I came up for air, Pace picked me up like it was nothing and threw me on solid ground. "I see water isn't going to work. Hey, can you guys do something?" He whispered to the Peacekeepers and turned back to me. I looked like a soaking wet squirrel, useless and pathetic looking.

He kneeled down to look me in the eyes. "Poor Jada. If you were truthful, you wouldn't have to go through this pain. But, you choose to be a liar. Lying is never good, especially when you lie to me." I curl into a ball, not looking Pace in the eye. Why did I ask President Rector that question last night? If I would have stayed silent during our dance, I wouldn't be here right now.

"Do you remember how I won my Games, Jada?" He asks, fiddling with a knife. "I allied with people, let them trust me, and I killed them when they weren't looking. You know, I am pretty good at using people. So, did you trust me?"

I shake my head yes.

"Perfect. I did my job, then." He grabs my wet hair and drags me to the water. He places the knife against my cheek, the same spot where Flitter cut me in the arena. "Are there rebel forces in District Ten?"

I shake my head no.

The knife breaks my skin again, allowing my blood to meet the air. He dunks me in the water again, but I feel a current travel from my feet to my head. I begin to visibly shake from the shock I was given. My screams were muffled from the water. I was pulled out while my heart beat a hundred miles a minute. He still had a grip on my hair. He, once again, threw me to the ground by my hair. I continue to cough up water while the energy has been drained from my body.

Pace throws the knife by my face. "Leave her there for the night. We'll work on her tomorrow. Stay guard, just in case she wants to break out. See you tomorrow, darling." He walks out, and he walks up a set of stairs. I curl into a tight ball on the floor, allowing the blood from my wound to soak me in it. I could care less about the blood on my face. Pace just left me here, like a dying animal needing help or medical attention.

"_Still nothing?" Kiani asks Annabelle when she returns._

"_No one has seen her since the ball. According to some people, she went missing around three in the morning." Annabelle reports, walking over to the dining table, where a spread of food has been laid out for us. I didn't want to eat. I can't eat. The only thing I can possibly think about is Jada's safety. Is she alright? Is she hurt?_

_The Panem seal flashes on the T.V again and we all pay attention. Instead of Dusk Shine, President Rector is in front of a large crowd and ready to say a speech. Kiani, Annabelle, Duce, and Shimmer sit on the couches, ready to hear what our president has to say._

"_Citizens of Panem." He begins, addressing the whole nation. "About seventeen hours ago, our own victor, Jada Caldwell, has gone missing. We aren't sure of her whereabouts at this point. We don't even have any witnesses. Rest assured that we are trying our hardest to find her. The only way to travel between districts is the train, and no one has claimed to see her at the station. So, we are still to believe she is in the Capitol._

"_We will update you regularly about our progress. If anyone has a tip or a sighting of Jada, please contact the Peacekeepers and tell them everything you know. Thank you for your consideration." He steps down and the T.V turns black._

_That's all he's trying to do? He probably put the whole nation in a panic. He's not trying hard enough to find her. My heart hurts from worrying about her so much. I can't even imagine the pain her family is in. To know that Jada is missing probably sent them into hysterics. Thinking about little Jace and Jetta crying for their big sister made tears fall from my eyes again._

"_I wonder what the rest of the nation thinks about this." Annabelle says calmly._

"_They are probably thinking we aren't doing enough to find her." Shimmer replies, rubbing my hair again._

"_I think people will start making false claims of seeing Jada all over the Capitol." Annabelle grabs a pastry._

"_I don't know how they could even think about doing that." Duce chirps up, sitting next to Annabelle. "That will send everyone into a frenzy, and no one will know if they see Jada or not."_

"_What about her family?" I say, surprised to hear my voice drowned by my tears."_

_Shimmer begins soothe my head with her nails. They run over my scalp, not leaving a single scratch. "They are probably scared too. They didn't know about Jada's disappearance until right now. I am scared for her family."_

_Everyone begins talking at the same time, and about different topics. I could barely keep them straight. I tuned out again, wishing Jada would walk through the door. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Who would want to take Jada? I strain my memory to think of what she did before she went missing. I can't think of a single thing. Tears are still sliding down my cheeks. My lip quivers, and I try my hardest not to sob loudly._

_Jada, please come back. Show up on the streets of the Capitol and come looking for me. I need to see you again. And, not in my dreams._

I curl tighter and tighter, trying to conserve my body heat. Being soaking wet in a cold basement made me shiver. And Pace didn't have the decency to give me a blanket. I lay on the ground, trying to fall asleep. My stomach churns, sending signals to my throat. Acid burns my throat, asking me to throw up. I try to hold it down, but it comes up anyway. I haven't eaten for hours, but my stomach managed to send up something.

I scoot away from my vomit and curl into another ball. I see the Peacekeepers glancing at each other in disgust. I could care less about what they think. I just want to leave and see my Quaid again. When will that be? I can't stand another minute in this basement. Tears fall silently as I close my eyes.

Quaid, please look for me. Find me. I am in a basement somewhere. Please, find me and take me home.


	14. Sighting

My stomach growls for food. My tongue dries up for drinking water. How long was I down here? A day? Two? I stay curled in my ball, trying desperately to get warmer. I swear the Peacekeepers made it colder in here than last night. I could see my breath when I breathe. My fingers began to shake and freeze, and tiny ice crystals were in my hair. I must look like a fashion disaster.

Is Quaid looking for me? I want to leave this basement. I don't care who is trying to find me, I just want to be found. I don't deserve to be tortured for trying to start an imaginary rebellion. Tears continue to fall and I think about my face. Jace and Jetta. What are they doing back home? I close my eyes and I try to think of them.

All I see is their faces, tear streaked and bloodshot eyes. My parents are silently working the farm, tears in their eyes as well. The animals don't exactly know why they are crying. But, animals have an amazing sense of feeling. Philomena waddles to my father and nuzzles him. The pregnant cow gave him the glassy eyes look that I miss so dearly. Even when you aren't sad, you can look into Philomena's glassy eyes and burst out into tears.

My thoughts are shattered. A heavy door opens and Pace walks in, a silver tray with a small breakfast. A small bowl of oatmeal, glass of orange juice, and one piece of toast. I unravel from my ball and sit up straight. As Pace walks my closer, I can feel my stomach growl louder.

He places the tray in front of me and takes a few steps back. I grab the oatmeal and shovel every last bite into my mouth. The hunger feeling was suppressed when I finished the whole bowl. I grab the glass of orange juice and chug half of it down. I move to the toast, the warm bread spreading its heat from my stomach to my fingers. When the breakfast was finished, Pace gave the tray to a Peacekeeper and sat in front of me.

"Was it good, darling?" He asks, his eyes flickering.

"Yes. Thank you so much." I say, wiping food from my lips.

"I don't want you to starve." He says, placing a hand on mine. "I know starvation is the worst way to die. Besides, you'll need a full stomach when I do this today."

"Do what?" I cock my head as he stands up.

"It's a surprise. Shh." He places a finger over his lips. He walkes to the Peacekeepers, who turn a switch.

A low crackling sound was heard to my right. I turned and saw the pool of water. It looked normal, but the crackling sound was coming from the walls of the pool. There was a long wire connected to multiple wires. The seal of District 3 was clear, even if it was under six feet of water. Bright yellow flashes surfaced the top of the water.

He electrified the water.

"_Shh. It was just a dream." Shimmer's voice rang in my ears. She was using her nails to go up and down my arm in an effort to calm me down._

_My tears came down fast and in a multitude. "She…she…she was dead. And Pres…President Rector was laughing like he knew she was dead all along. And…and…" Shimmer silenced me._

"_Shh. Shh. That won't happen." Her nails have the force of a butterfly's wings. "Jada is a strong girl. She can handle anything thrown at her. She survived Flitter, and I thought she wasn't going to." She uses her thumbs to wipe away my tears._

_I try to think of her back in the arena. When she sang to the mockingjays and they all fell silent. When she and I had our first kiss by the lake. When we were crowned victors, and how we won over the Capitol. None of that matters now. She's probably suffering more than she did in the arena. Or, maybe she's okay. I have to keep my faith alive. It can't die like the twenty other tributes that did in the arena._

_Shimmer escorts me to the dining room, where a breakfast was laid out. I reluctantly sit down and pick a few of the foods and place them on my plate. A small bowl of oatmeal, a piece of toast, and a glass of orange juice seems like enough. I begin to scoop the oatmeal into my mouth when the Panem seal flashes on T.V and Dusk Shine is working the news._

"_Still no update on Jada Caldwell's disappearance." She begins to say, with Jada's Victor Picture layered behind her. "No one has seen this fifteen year old victor since the ball. Everyone seems to have no idea where she is. But, we do have a lead. It seems that, moments before her disappearance, someone watched her dance with past victor, Pace Caywood._

"_After that, we still don't have any leads. President Rector has questioned Pace but he says that Pace wasn't with her when she disappeared."_

_Silence falls over the table. No one wants to say it. My eyes are stinging from the tears I am holding back. I silently place the toast in my mouth, but the flavor of anything has disappeared. I can't even eat while Jada is away from me._

_The news switches to a Capitol sit-com. I didn't pay attention to eat. I tried eating my bland meal and not to think about Jada. The harder I tried not to, the more I did. I could hear her voice, singing and laughing. I could see her, walking to me in a long white wedding gown._

"_Don't worry, Quaid." Annabelle says, grabbing a chocolate covered strawberry. "We'll find her. Even if it's the last thing we do, we'll find her."_

"_I sure hope so." I say, sipping my drink._

"You do have rebel forces in Ten. Quit lying to me!" Pace says, ready to dunk me in the electrified water.

"I don't, I swear!" I yell. My head in submerged in water, and a shock is sent up my body. Pace pulls me out by my hair and slams me on the ground.

He sits on top on me and looks me in the eyes. A needle was given to him by a Peacekeeper. He slowly injected the liquid into my arm. While the effects began, Pace's words filled my head, making them true.

"One, two, Quaid's coming for you. Three, four, he's at the door. Five, six, he makes you sick. Seven, eight, you're too late. Nine, ten, you'll never be seen again." The words keep ringing in my head. My eyes began to close, and the last thing I saw was Quaid coming after me, with a knife in his hand.

_One, two, Quaid's coming for you. Three, four, he's at the door. Five, six, he makes you sick. Seven, eight, you're too late. Nine, ten, you'll never be seen again._

"_There has been a sighting!" Annabelle yells through the room. "She's at the square! Let's go."_

_I follow her, not wanting to change from my pajamas. We run through town, ready to see my lover. I hope she's okay. We come closer and closer to the square and I see her. Her brown hair is mangled, she is shaking, and she has her knees to her chest. I called out her name and ran to her._

_I opened my arms for her to come in. Instead, her arms wrap around my throat._

"_Jada!" Everyone screams at her. It takes Annabelle, Shimmer, and a few passers by to pull her off of me._

**A/N: Yes, a short chapter this time around. And, I will say this; the injection was not tracker jacker venom. It is an unnamed drug and, while injecting it, if you say something, the person receiving the injection believes it to be true. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, sent a tribute, and just read the story. Thank you so much and I can't thank you all enough.**


	15. Ragac

Annabelle and Shimmer pulled me off of him, knocking me to the ground. Capitol freaks began to stare at us. The only thing I can see is him with a knife, ready to turn the knife on me. "Keep him away from me!" I screech, moving away from him.

"Jada, it's me." He says, walking closer.

"Stay away from me!" I yell again, not caring if the Capitol citizens look. They should know that they have a murderer on their hands.

"Okay, you two." Shimmer starts, pulling my arm. "Let's take you back to the Training Center. Jada, you must be hungry." Shimmer leads the way, with Annabelle and Quaid behind me.

When we got to the elevator, Shimmer pushed _1 _and I was reaching to push my floor. She told me no, so I didn't. I can't believe I have to share a floor with him. It's not fair. I hold back my frustration when the elevator stops on our floor. I exit, not looking behind me for anyone. I need something to eat.

I enter the room, and everything fills my eyes. The furniture, the food, the décor, everything was marvelous. I moved to the kitchen table, where an array of foods was lain out. I grabbed as much as I could before I began eating. The flavors fill my mouth, replacing the dull feeling. The food began to suppress the hunger feeling I have had for a while.

As I was eating, the Panem seal flashes on screen. Dusk Shine was on screen, ready to share the news. Stars filled the screen, and a snapshot of me was on screen. "We have received information that the Hunger Games victor, Jada Caldwell, has been found and safe. However, this is not a happy occasion for the Capitol citizens. A few sources tell us that when Quaid Ethers went to greet her, she attacked him, cutting off his air supply."

Kiani gasped, glancing at me and the T.V. I shrugged it off, eating my food. "Nothing is known about Jada's disappearance, but she must have been severely hurt. When citizens saw her in the square, they noted that her hair was matted, eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like she hasn't eaten in days."

Acid traveled up my throat again. I dropped my spoon and ran straight for the bathroom. My breakfast came up first, then anything left over followed. The smell filled the bathroom, leaving me sicker than I was. I flushed everything down and lay against the wall. Why am I throwing up so much?

A knock on the door made me jump. A female voice spoke from behind the wood. "Jada? Are you alright in there? It's me, Annabelle." I opened the door and let her come in. "Hey, are you alright?" I shook my head.

"I have been throwing up for days and I seem more tired than usual." I say, wiping my mouth free from vomit. "Is he still out there?"

"Who? Do you mean Quaid?" Annabelle said, brushing her bangs from her eyes.

"Don't say his name. He's the one who probably made me sick." I say, covering my ears. Annabelle shuts the door and sits beside me. Her arm wraps around my shoulder, pulling me closer to her.

"Why does he make you sick?" She asks. I wipe sweat away from my forehead.

"He's the man they're talking about." I reply. Her head cocks to the side. "Ugh. One, two, Quaid's coming for you. Three, four, he's at the door. Five, six, he makes you sick. Seven, eight, you're too late. Nine, ten, you'll never be seen again. Don't you see?"

Silence took over in the bathroom. I didn't expect Annabelle to understand. She probably loves Quaid and will do anything to protect him. But, Quaid's the mad man in the situation. In the arena, he killed every tribute that crossed his path. I didn't dare step anywhere near him. I am still unsure of how we both survived.

She brushes my hair from my eyes. "Honey, how can you think that? Do you remember your Games? He…"

"Killed everyone, including Stiles. He would have killed me if I was anywhere near him." I cut her off.

"No. You and Quaid are in love." I snort at her statement.

"What happened to you?" Annabelle asks. Her eyes look to my arm, where a break in the skin showed too much. She grabbed my arm and looked it over. A small puncture was over my vein, and a small hole was present. "What is this?"

"How should I know?" I snap.

"You need to see a doctor." She says, pulling me to my feet. "Take a shower, get dressed, and I'll meet you in the living room in twenty minutes." I roll my eyes but I do as she says.

She leaves me in the bathroom as I undress to take a shower. I step into the hot steamy water, allowing it to cascade down my back and clean my hair. I press the button that puts rose scented shampoo in my hair, and the shower works its magic. Within ten minutes, I am clean and out of the shower. I press a button that blow dries me and I brush my hair.

I place a gray tee-shirt with the faded District 10 seal on and some jeans. I slip on a pair of boots and make my way to the living room. Kiani, Shimmer, Annabelle, and Quaid are still watching T.V. They are announcing information about next years Hunger Games. Annabelle spots me and stands up.

"Right on time!" She exclaims. She crosses over to me. Shimmer follows her lead, with Quaid behind her. "Alright, the ride to the doctor will only take about ten minutes. Are you ready?"

I sneer at Quaid. "Why is he coming along?"

"I just want to see what's wrong with my Cowgirl." The nickname rings in my ears. Even though he is six foot tall, I push him backwards.

"Don't call me Cowgirl!" I yell in his face. Shimmer pulls me away from her victor.

"Don't fight now!" She spits in my face. "We are going to take you to the doctor and see what is wrong with you."

We leave the Training Center and get into a car District 6 provides. I sit in the back with Quaid, distancing myself from him. As the car speeds along the street, I silently scoffed at the Capitol citizens. Who would dress up in such exposing clothing with green colored skin? I kept looking at them as we got closer and closer to the doctor. We make a left turn and drive for a few more minutes. When the car stops, I gawk at a tall building and assume it is the doctor's office.

Shimmer escorts me in and Annabelle follows with Quaid. Shimmer asks to see a doctor for an emergency and we are taken into room 163. The nurse asks me to sit on a table and wait for Doctor Bloomburg. I stay silent as we wait and look at my surroundings. Everything looks completely clean, not a speck on any equipment. The equipment is state of the art perfect and flawless. I think they replace their equipment everyday.

A man with a long, white coat and close cropped hair walks in. His skin is a natural shade, and he looks like he had no alterations done to him. "Hello, Jada. I'm Doctor Bloomburg. What seems to be the problem?"

He doesn't even have the Capitol accent.

Shimmer spoke up. "Well, Jada has been missing for a few days. And when she comes back, she acts like she and Quaid hate each other."

"And I noticed a small puncture on her arm." Annabelle says.

The doctor touches my arm, examining the puncture. His fingers run over it and I wince slightly. He nods and writes something down on a tablet. He does a few tests on my eyes, my breathing, and my senses. He grabs an instrument and places it over the puncture. The instrument beeps, and he nods.

"Well, I now know the problem." He says. Shimmer, Annabelle, and Quaid all sit up straight. "She has been injected with Ragac."

"What is that?" Shimmer asks.

"Ragac is a drug that can make the patient believe anything." He starts. "It was commonly used during the Second Rebellion on captured rebels. While injecting Ragac, the injector can say anything to the injected. In example, a Capitol official can inject Ragac on a rebel. While placing the drug in them, they can say 'The rebel forces are evil. Work with the Capitol and you will be bathed in riches.' From the information you have given me, it seems Jada has been told that Quaid is an evil person."

The information goes into my head. So, I have been placed under the influence of Ragac? That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

"Is there any treatment?" Quaid asks.

"Unfortunately, there is no known cure." He says. Annabelle covers her mouth. "Ragac hasn't been used in over one hundred years, so no one has found a cure. I will tell the researchers in District Fourteen to start working on it now." He grabs his tablet and begins writing on it.

As he writes, everyone looks at each other. No one has ever heard of Ragac, possibly because it hasn't been used in over a century. There is no cure, and I will not be cured of the drug.

"Oh, Doctor Bloomburg." Annabelle starts up. "Jada has been feeling ill for a few days. She throws up constantly and has been feeling more tired than normal. I don't think it is a side effect of the Ragac."

Doctor Bloomburg puts down his tablet and walks over to me. He examines my face, my eyes, and my whole body. He nods and grabs a syringe. "Don't worry. I'm only going to take a little bit of blood. Pretend you're at the Reaping." He comforts me as the needle enters my skin and draws blood. When he is finished, he puts the blood in a testing tube and sends it to another section of the hospital.

Within ten minutes, the blood comes back with the result. His eyes look at the paper, but he shakes his head. He doesn't believe it. He grabs another instrument, but this one has a chord on it and he grabs some liquid with it. "Can you please lift up your shirt? It'll only take a few minutes." I do as I am instructed, allowing my stomach to be visible. He places the warm liquid on my stomach and runs over it with the chorded machine.

After a few moments, a thumping is heard on the machine. Shimmer and Annabelle look at each other, delighted to hear that sound. Before long, an overlapping thumping is heard. The machine is taken off of my stomach, Doctor Bloomburg wipes my stomach off, and he places the machine down.

"Ladies, I think you know what that sound is." He looks at Annabelle and Shimmer's delighted faces. "Now, Jada. That noise you just heard was a heartbeat. Congratulations! You're pregnant!"

I cover my mouth with my hand. I…I'm pregnant? Whose baby is it? I turn to my left and my answer is in front of me. The baby is Quaid's.

**A/N: And the plot gets as thick as my hair (I'm serious, my hair is super thick). Anyway, I want to thank you all for reading. I want to thank Peetasgirl8 for constantly shouting out my stories. I want to thank lildip14 & degrassigirl12 for sending in tributes. We only need six more! Speaking of, Death All Around has a new chapter, but I removed one chapter, making it look like I didn't add anything. If you have a tribute or are planning to submit, please check that out. It is an updated tribute list and I have new trivia questions! Thank you for reading and reviewing. :)**


	16. Knife Throwing & Pills

I stare at the doctor. This must be a mistake. The baby can't possibly be Quaid's. When did we…my mind flashes back to the train. Of course. I place my hand over my stomach, feeling a slight stir in my abdomen.

Doctor Bloomburg sends me out with no antidote. He has received a message from the head researchers in 14 and they said they will try to have a cure in about three weeks. Until then, I must remain in the Capitol so they can ship the medicine to me. He congratulates me one last time before sending me out.

Driving back to the Training Center was a nightmare. Kiani and Annabelle kept chit chatting about baby names and Quaid wanted my opinion of the baby. I kept shrugging him off, trying to collect my thoughts. I am only fifteen, and I will be turning sixteen in a month. With the Ragac in me, I don't exactly know what's true or not. Plus, with the shocks I have been given, I don't know if the baby is healthy or not. I watch as the buildings pass by.

"Jada, we have to talk about the baby." Quaid says, placing a hand on my shoulder. On instinct, I snap my body to him and pin his wrist to the seat.

"Don't touch me." My eyes flick up. "Besides, it's my baby and I'll decide with to do with it." I release his hand, and go back to watching the Capitol pass by.

He breathes in a heavy sigh. "But it's my baby too. I would like to help you raise it." His voice pricks my ears. He sounds like an annoying father-want-to-be.

"Raise it to what age?" I snap, looking at his emerald eyes. "When it turns twelve, they'll be entered into the Hunger Games. I don't want my child to go through what I did."

He shrinks back from my snap. "Listen, Jada. That baby is just as mine as it is yours. If I want the baby, I want the baby. Besides, our child will never go through the Games."

"How do you know? Are you going to rig the Reaping?"

"Hey, guys!" Annabelle speaks up from up front. "Why don't we discuss baby names? I personally like Lizzie, but I am also open to anything else."

I glare at Quaid as he puts in his name ideas. I don't listen anymore. This baby has caused too much commotion for my taste. I stare at the buildings, marveling about how tall they are and how modern they look. How long did it take to build up this Capitol after the Second Rebellion? The car turns to the Training Center and I am ushered into the building.

"I would like to go to the gymnasium, if that's okay." I say to Kiani. She adjusts her purple wig and looks at an Avox on the other side of the room. The Avox nods silently and Kiani pats my shoulder.

"Okay, darling." She says. "Don't strain yourself." She, Annabelle, and Quaid go into the elevator and leave me down here. I walk to the gymnasium door and enter the room where everything began.

The air smells of bleach and cleaners. The weapons shine under the fluorescent lights. I haven't been here in a while. I walk to the knives, my steps echoing off the walls. I reach for a knife, a standard throwing knife, and throw it at a dummy. An inch above the heart. I throw another one. It lands on the forehead, severing the brain. I still haven't lost my killing magic.

I began to throw knives in perfect harmony, the sound of them piercing the dummy at a steady rhythm. Every so often I have to stop, grab my weapons, and return to start again. I just imagine Quaid's head on the dummy and I hit every time. Nothing to it.

What am I going to do about the baby? Will they hate me for giving them life into a world of Hunger Games? I shake those thoughts from my head. No, no. I don't hate _my_ mother. I hate my ignorance for putting me in a situation like this one. But, this baby changes everything. I may not get to see my family for months at a time because of this 'bundle of joy'. Will they watch my Hunger Games, and see that their mother is a killer?

Well, I am moving to District 1. Maybe I can send them to the Academy and make them go to the Hunger Games as a natural killer. Sort of like how Flitter and Quaid were. If I send them to be a killer, that makes everything easier. They will form the typical Career alliance, and live longer. There's only one problem. Only one victor can be crowned. I do not want my child to die, placing second or third in the Games.

A knife severs the dummy's head clean off. How long have I been throwing knives? I move closer to the dummy and see that multiple indents were on the neck. I might have been throwing for over 45 minutes. I pick up the head and place it beside the body. Another kill. _Boom! _A cannon goes off in my head.

"What are you doing here all alone, Jada?" I turn to face the voice from behind me. His voice is deep, much like my father's. It is comforting and homey. The ash blond hair is a dead giveaway.

"Well, if you must know, I am throwing knives." I reply to Pace. "I have a lot on my mind."

Pace walks closer, as I keep throwing knives. Every shot is a kill shot, severing them in the heart or head. I don't look at his expression, but I think he's impressed. Who would have thought that a girl from 10 can throw knives like an expert?

"Care to share?" He asks, grabbing a knife from my hand. He could easily be mistaken for a tribute from 1. His muscles ripple as he throws a knife into the dummy's heart.

"No." I reply, moving toward the archery station. "It's more…personal."

Pace follows me, his hazel eyes trained on me. "I'm a personal person. Share with me, Ten."

I grab the silver bow and an arrow. I place it in my quiver and let it fly. It slices the air, landing itself into the dummy's neck. Death by drowning in its own blood. That's pretty awful. _Boom!_

"Well, I went to the doctor today." I start, placing another arrow in my quiver. "He said I was injected with an old drug called Ragac. Then, he proceeds to tell me that I am pregnant with Quaid's baby." I let the arrow go, watching it land into the dummy's heart. "Is that ridiculous or what?"

Pace's eyes flicker as he takes the bow from my hands. "You know what I think? That doctor was a fake." He walks me backwards, placing my back onto the thick pillar. "Ragac is a drug like Morphling. It has been outlawed for years. And, you pregnant with Quaid's baby? Highly unlikely."

His voice caresses my ears, sounding like wind in my hair. His hands are placed beside my head on the pillar. His face inches closer to mine, his breath hot and heavy on mine. Suddenly, there is no more room between our lips. His lips match mine to a tee, and we feel so interlocked.

My hands travel up his toned chest to his high cheek bones, feeling every inch of this District 3 boy. His hands are wrapped around my back, pulling me closer to him. No more space is in-between our bodies as he pushes me up against the pillar. His hand travels to the hem of my shirt, and mine grips his hair. He repeats my name countless times as my shirt falls to the floor.

His lips leave mine, and he grips my hand. "I know where we can go for privacy." He says seductively. I scoop up my shirt and follow him to the elevators, which he takes me to his floor. Actually, he presses button _14 _and we go sky high. His hand is wrapped around my waist as the elevator goes to floor 14. When we stop, we run straight for the bedroom, which should be meant for the next female tribute.

Pace picks me up, with my legs wrapped around his waist, and throws me onto the bed. He shuts the door and locks it, even though we are the only two up here. He tears off his shirt, revealing his toned body. He pants follow with his shirt. He lies on the bed beside me and his lips travel from my lips to my stomach. I kick off my boots and make his lips meet mine.

"Princess Demandypants, I see." He teases as we keep kissing. Our bodies become intertwined and one. Nothing enters my mind except for what is happening at this very moment.

Hours pass and the sun has begun to set. I am curled into a ball, sweating beside Pace. He kisses my forehead. His fingers move my hair to behind my ears, making my eyes meet his. His hazel eyes met mine, locking at the sight. Why didn't I see it before? With Quaid, all I see is hatred. With Pace Caywood, all I see is a connection.

He stands up and heads to the bathroom. A few moments later, I hear the shower water running. I lift up my head to look at the clock. 6:16pm. I was here that long? I throw the covers off of me and slip on my clothes. I grab a hairbrush and untangle the knots in my hair. I leave the 14 floor, heading down to the 1 floor.

When I enter, Annabelle, Shimmer, and Kiani just glance at me. Quaid stares at me. I silently go to my bedroom and lay on the bed. _That was a wild ride! _I think about Pace.

A slight stirring happens in my stomach. Oh, that's right. I am still pregnant. What am I going to do with it? I sit up and look at the bathroom in my room. Are there pills in there? What could be hiding in there? I cross to my bathroom and open up the mirror. Tubes filled with medicines with a number _14 _on each lid. That's…peculiar. Each medicine bottle has District 14's logo, meaning that District 14 has been built up longer than anyone has thought. Is that the same for 13 and 12?

I grab a bottle full of pills, but it slips through my fingers. It clangs on the ground, making an obnoxious noise. I grab another bottle and settle on those pills. I place a few in my hand, reading the warning label on the bottle. '_May cause dizziness, nausea, and increased heart rate. Do not take if you are taking another type of antibiotic, nursing, or pregnant. Do not…_' Good enough for me.

I place the pills in my mouth, ready to swallow them down. Before I can, someone has their hands wrapped around my throat, forcing me to spit them into the sink. I turn to face the person who did, and I see Quaid with fear in his eyes.

**A/N: How do you like them apples? Umm…that may have not been the right thing to say. I have some really good news. Death All Around only needs one more male tribute! That male has to be from District 5. I am so excited! Anyway, if you did not check out Death All Around, it has a new chapter up. It is the Female Reapings, and I think you would like it even if you don't have a tribute. I want to thank everyone who read my story, including (but not limited to) PeetasGirl8, ActressAssassian2010, THGfanatic, and everyone else who read and reviewed. It means so much to me and it gives me a lot of confidence. :)**


	17. Loss of Common Sense

Saliva soaked pills enter the sink. Quaid kept telling me to spit them out of my mouth. The final pill clangs into the sink. Quaid pulls me into a hug, strangling me to the point where I can't breathe. I try to be released from his tight grip.

"What were you thinking?" He asks. "Are you alright?" His voice is barely above a whisper.

"Let me go!" I pull from his grip, staring into the eyes of the six foot tall boy in front of me. His eyes drain of color as he looks at me.

"Where were you and what happened to you?" his voice was filled with sadness, tears forming in his eyes.

"Who are you, my father?" I snap. "Whatever I did is none of your business! Stay away from me!" I push him back, his body falling to the floor. I walk away from the District 1 boy, only focusing on where I was going. And I wasn't even sure of that.

_I watch my Cowgirl walk away from me. I know she's under the influence of Ragac, but I can't help but think that not everything in her mind is caused by the drug. I curl in a ball and let the tears slide down my face. Who gave her the drug?_

My mind flashes to our Capitol appearance. According to some citizens, the last person she was with before her disappearance was Pace Caywood. But, Pace said that he wasn't with her when she disappeared. Then, my mind shows me a picture of Jada singing to the mockingjays in the arena. Why isn't Jada like that now? She hasn't sang since we were in the Capitol.

_I tell myself to stop crying. District 14 is working on her cure right now. But, buy the time the cure is ready, I fear that she may not remember me and that she may not want to be with me. She may want to be with a Capitol citizen or a past victor. But, who would she be with._

_Pace…Pace!_

_I bolt upright. That son of a bitch! He must have injected her with Ragac and told her that I was the threat. I wipe my eyes clear of tears. I need to find Pace. He messed with my Cowgirl for the last time._

_I stand up and get ready to leave my floor. As I cross through the living room, I glance at Jada. She was watching a Capitol sit-com, the same one we watched on the train. The actors were dress as horses in that one. I move towards the elevator and press the down button. When it arrives, I press the _T _button. It whizzes me down to the gymnasium. When I arrive, I hear a sword chopping through a dummy._

I place my hand on stomach. Quaid ruined it. I don't want this baby if it is his. Why would I? He killed an innocent twelve year old. If he can do that to a boy he didn't even know, why would I want to raise a child with him? He might try to kill the baby in its sleep. That would just kill me too.

I watch the stupid shows that the Capitol calls humor. What is so funny about people dressed up as horses? I continue to watch and wait for the stupid medicine District 14 will provide me. What else is there to do?

Annabelle comes up and sits beside me. She had her hair in a high ponytail and she was wearing a simple sundress. She glances to me before speaking. "How are you holding up with the baby?"

I roll my eyes. "Fine. I'm carrying a baby I don't even want."

"What?" Annabelle asks. Shock crosses her eyes.

"You heard me. I don't want this spawn of Quaid." She places a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't mean that." She says. "I'd give anything to have a child. I know Shimmer would too. Creating a life in Panem, whether it is in the Capitol or in District Ten is a sacred thing. Don't give that up." We turn our attention to the T.V.

Annabelle's words sink in. It's not the life I am worried about. It's the father of the baby. I don't want the child to suffer in the Games like I did. Why wasn't I on those pills that prevent you from becoming pregnant? If I was, I probably wouldn't be in this situation. I wonder what Pace is doing right now.

_My body moves slowly, trying not to alert the person already down there. When I enter the gymnasium, I see a teen boy with ash blond hair, slicing a dummy to bits. Now I know how he got that nine in his training last year. I inched closer to get a better look. He cut the limbs off, severed the heart, and beheaded the dummy._

_Hatred raged in my heart. I lost control of my common sense and my emotions and walked to Pace. My hand grabbed his shirt collar and gravity pulled him down. The sword clanged to the ground as I pinned him to the floor. I raised my fist and punched his cheekbone._

"_What did you do to her?" I yell, my voice echoing off the walls. "What…did…you…do!?"_

_He chuckles at me. "She is an absolute pleasure. I see why you love her so dearly. Her kisses are as sweet as honey." My cheeks flush with rage. I pick up his shoulders and slam him to the floor._

"_You kissed her?" I yell._

"_Much more than a kiss, District One." He sneers. "Despite carrying your spawn, she is an absolute pleasure in bed. She completely forgot about you. She gave me this to burn." He produced a ring that I gave her the night of our final interviews. It was the engagement ring I gave her!_

"_You son of a bitch!" I scream at him. "Do you know what she means to me?"_

"_Too bad. She doesn't like you anymore. She'd prefer me over you any day."_

_My blood boiled._

_My heart raced._

_My eyes watered._

_My hatred grew._

_I picked him up and slammed him on the ground. His eyes fluttered with every hit. "Stay away from Jada!" I yell at him. His fingers dropped the engagement ring onto the floor. I stood up, watching him catch his breath. I grabbed the ring and left him gasping in the gymnasium._

_I quickly called an elevator and returned to my floor. Although I beat up Pace, I am beginning to feel guilty. There is a story that I don't know nor care to know. I don't know why he did it. Either way, I made my point clear to him._

_When I arrived on my floor, Jada was still watching Capitol T.V. I inched closer, examining her. How could she climb into bed with Pace? I blame the damn drug she's on. I speak her name so silently, I didn't think she heard me. But, her head snaps to me. Fear passed her eyes as she realizes I am right behind her. She sprints up from the couch, moving away from me._

"Jada, listen to me." Quaid says as I inch backwards.

"No! You are a psycho! Go away!" I scream, moving backwards. He hand stretches out, trying to caress my cheek.

"I am not leaving, Cowgirl." His hand moves closer and closer to me.

"Do NOT call me that!" I scream as I throw him on the ground. He puts up a fight, but I manage to pin him down. My hands are on his shoulders and I try calming him down.

"This isn't you." Is all he says.

His hand reaches up to the back of my head. His hand pushes my lips to his. I struggle to be released. His tongue enters my mouth, exploring it. His other hand is placed on my back, holding me in place. I try my hardest to be let go. I am thrashing around but it's no use. The kiss ends as Quaid keeps looking at me. Our lips are hovering around each other. My breath is hot on his.

"Say something, Jada." Quaid tells me.

I look at Quaid. I no longer see the person who wants to kill me. I see a boy who I have fallen in love with. This is him! My lips meet his again. He rolls me over so he is on top. The long, passionate kiss last for what seemed like hours. How long have I gone without his kisses? My hands are firmly placed on his back.

When the kiss ends, Quaid's eyes look into mine. I missed those emerald colored irises. He laughs and I follow him. Before I am aware of it, we are laughing at nothing.

"I knew you were still in there, Cowgirl." He says, pushing hair behind my ears. My heart skips a beat as he calls me by my nickname.

"What happened?" I ask. He lies beside me and explains everything that has happened since the dinner at President Rector's mansion.

As I listen, I can't believe all that happened to me. I was tortured, given a drug, slept with Pace, and almost killed my baby. Before long, Quaid slips my engagement ring back on my finger. Our conversation turns into plans for the wedding. When it will be, what I will wear, who will come…all those important questions were asked to make the day better.

The sky turns into a dark blue and we head to our room. We slip under the covers and lie in bed, beside each other. I fall asleep in his presence, just like I did in the arena. My arms were wrapped around him as my eyes closed and I was introduced to my dreams.

_I wake up in the cave. It's the cave Quaid and I stayed in during our time in the arena. The fire is nothing but burning embers and Quaid is no where in sight. I exit the cave and begin to look around in the forest. There were no signs of life other than the wild creatures._

_I walk to the Cornucopia, where the Games began. Everyone is standing on their plates. The plate next to Lucifer is empty. That's where I should be standing. As I move to my spot, I see that the clock is counting down. I stop in place. I can't even move. The clock continues to count down. 30, 29, 28, 27, 26…_

_I move my eyes to find Quaid. He's on his starting plate, ready to start. No one looks in my direction. Can they see me? I see Hollis and Malloy eye each other, telling each other to run to the forest. Camilla and Flitter have their eyes trained on the Cornucopia and ready to spill blood. 10…9…8…7…6…_

_The last few seconds tick by and everyone moves. They are running for dear life and getting their weapons. I fall to the ground, now unfrozen. Screams pierce the air; the Careers have already gotten their weapons. I struggle to get on my feet as the scream start to completely fill the arena. A spear whizzes past my face and I turn to see who threw it. Quaid is walking toward me with knives in his hands._

_He sprints to me and begins to pin me down. We roll on the ground a few times before I am pinned down. I hear Flitter's yelps of excitement. "Kill her, Quaid! Stab her!" Fear is shot through my body. A knife is shown in front of my face. The blade is inches from my nose._

"_Sorry Ten. You're going down." The voice wasn't Quaid's. It was Lucifer's. The figure on top of me melted to show Lucifer sitting on my body. The knife cut a wound on my cheek and it moved to my stomach. He drew an outline of my baby and stabbed the area where the baby would be._

_The pain shot up my body, a shock that last for a few minutes. I let out a scream of pain as Lucifer continued to stab my abdomen. Finally, he delivered the deathblow. The knife plunged into my heart, and my world went black._

_The pain continued to burn._

I shot up from my sleep. Sweat poured from my face. A searing pain rippled through my body. I clutched my stomach and pushed Quaid. "Wake up!" I yell as his eyes flutter open.

"What's wrong?" He asks as he sees me clutching my stomach.

"I don't know. Get me to the hospital!" I yell. Quaid shoots up from the bed and grabs me. He carries me to the door, not waking Annabelle or Shimmer. He leads me to the elevator and we exit the Training Center.

**A/N: I am back from vacation! Myrtle Beach was awesome, but I needed to come home. PeetasGirl8, I actually went to _South _Carolina…my bad on that one. Anyway, that you for waiting for me to come home. How did you like the chapter?**

**Quick note. I am going back to school on Thursday, meaning my updates might be slower than normal.**


	18. Arietta & Cadenza

Quaid carried me all the way to the hospital. A few Capitol citizens who were partying all night noticed us running to the hospital. They didn't stop and ask what's wrong; we were moving too fast to give them that chance. Quaid kept running and didn't stop. The pain in my stomach grew as we got closer and closer. Every time the pain came, it felt like a stab to the stomach. My hands clutched onto Quaid as he made a sharp left.

The hospital had its doors open for any late night visits. When Quaid and I entered the doors, he placed me in a wheelchair as he found a nurse to explain the situation to. "My fiancée is in pain. She is having stomach pains. Help her!" His voice is filled with a desperate helplessness. A nurse with a short white dress on comes over to me. Her voice is calm with a heavy Capitol accent.

"Miss, on a scale of one to ten, how bad is your pain?" She places a hand on my shoulder and I shoo her away.

"A twelve." I say, shouting out a number higher than ten. She yells something to a few other nurses and she begins to wheel me down the hallways.

"Quaid!" I scream. "QUAID!" I can't look behind me. I hear his footsteps, but I hear him being stopped by someone else. I hear him yelling for me, but he can't come to my side. A pain shoots up my body and I let out a scream.

I am wheeled into a bland white room. The nurse grabs an ultrasound machine and moves her way towards me. I try to hold back my thrashing so she can place the liquid on my stomach. When she places the ultrasound on my stomach, I can hear an erratic heartbeat. It is fast and probably going faster than mine when I was in the arena.

"Get her to intensive care, now!" The nurse commands. "If we don't start working, the children will die."

Wait. Did she say _children_?

The nurses begin to wheel me into the intensive care room. I am still screaming for Quaid, knowing that he might come to see me. I am wheeled into another bland white room and placed on a bed of some sorts. Doctor Bloomburg comes in; looking like he did a few days ago, walk in calmly to me.

"Is she okay?" He asks, voice absent of the accent.

"The babies are having a problem in the womb." A nurse informs him. _BABIES?!_

Doctor Bloomburg walks close to me and places a warm hand on my forearm. "Jada, we are going to put you under and see what is going on with your children. They must be in shock from your lack of food when you disappeared. We are going to..."

"There is more than one?!" I yell. His eyes widen and he grabs a syringe.

"Yes, honey. You have twins. But, you have to be put under now." The needle enters my skin and the fluid enters my body. The news of the twins sinks into my mind as the fluid takes over my body. The world around me becomes black and only one thought is in my mind as I go under: Quaid and I are parents to twins.

_I am lying on my back and I am looking at the tips of the trees. The arena has been cleaned out and I am enjoying the emptiness of the graveyard that houses many fallen tributes. Mockingjays fill the air and I close my eyes. A white strapless dress is placed on my body as I keep looking at the sky. Everything seems so normal here, despite it being a graveyard for the fallen._

_I sing my five note tune to the bids and they pick it up. Eerily, as soon as they pick it up, they pick up another tune. It wasn't my tune; it was someone else's. I am not alone. I sit up and I don't see a person. Someone has to be messing with me. I stand up and start to move. My feet are bare and I am careful not to step on anything sharp. I move to where the Cornucopia was, but it is no longer there. The lush grass is cool in between my toes._

_I see a swarm of Capitol citizens, ready to reenact The Hunger Games. I see the familiar district colors of the jackets. Silver for 1, bronze for 2, orange for 3, light blue for 4, dull red for 5, so on so forth. Capitol children stand on the plates, looking at each other and laughing. Someone calls out 'I'm Jada!' and another one yells 'I'm Quaid!' They are calling parts._

_The gong sounds and a few run to the 'Cornucopia'. They grab fake weapons and pretend to kill each other. I turn away. That's sick. They don't know the horror they put on people. The only thing that made the horror easier to take was Quaid. He suffers as much as I do. The children run off to the woods and I am left alone in the arena once more. I hear that melody again sung by the mockingjays. I enter another part of the woods._

_I sing my five note tune and they pick it up quickly. The unknown tune ripples through the forest, signaling that someone else heard my tune. I follow the birds to find the source of the new tune. I use my tune to find them faster. When I find the source, I am taken aback._

_In front of me are two teen girls, each wearing a dress of a contrasting color. One girl was wearing a white gown similar to mine, another one was wearing a raven black gown. They both had brown hair and green eyes. Their faces were similar to mine, but they had subtle differences on them too. Their noses were pointier and longer than mine, and their cheekbones were higher. Suddenly, it hits me._

_These are my twin daughters._

_The one in the white gown sings her tune. She turns her eyes to me, and hits her sister. They both stare at me and shock crosses their emerald eyes. They whisper something before the one in the white begins to speak to me. "Hi, Mom." Is all she says._

_My mouth opens to speak to my daughter. "Hello. What are your names?" After I say those words, I realize that I should know. I am their mother after all._

_The one in the black gown speaks up in her timid voice. "Oh. This is Arietta and I am Cadenza. I prefer to be called Cadence."_

"_And I prefer to be called Aria." The one in the white says. They walk closer to me._

"_Okay, Aria and Cadence." I say their names before continuing. "Why are you in the arena? You shouldn't be here. It's a..."_

"_Graveyard for the Fallen." Cadence finishes. "Oh, yes. We have heard. Mom, we have to say something."_

"_Yes?" I answer her._

"_Well, notice our dresses?" Aria says, referencing their gowns. I nod at her. "Well, only one will live with you, and the other will stay in the Graveyard for the Fallen."_

_I have just met these girls, who are my daughters, and they tell me that I can only have one. I sink to the floor and curl into a ball. First, I lose my sanity because of Pace. Now, I am losing one of daughters because of what Pace did to me. Why does this keep happening to me? Why can't I live a normal life of a girl who has never endured the Hunger Games and stayed in District 10? Nothing ever goes right in Panem._

_Aria and Cadence lie beside me and wipe my tears away. They look so much like me that I am not sure which one looks like Quaid. They have aspects of their father, but not an overwhelming resemblance. Suddenly, Aria and Cadence mutter lyrics. The muttering turns into singing. As I hear their lyrics, I remember the song._

Are you, are you

Coming to the tree where they strung up a man they say murdered three?

Strange things did happen here no stranger would it seem

If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

_The mockingjays fall silent as they listen to my daughters sing the song. I close my eyes and listen to their harmonic voices. As they continue, I mouth the words, the sounds not escaping my throat. I continue to listen to my daughters. They continue to sing. When they sing the final words, the mockingjays spread their song through the forest._

_I place my hands on my little girls. Aria and Cadence began to fade away. I bolt upright and I try to grab them. They continue to fade. They are disappearing and I can no longer grasp my family. The birds continue to sing The Hanging Tree as Aria and Cadence are no longer in the arena. Arietta and Cadenza Ethers are gone._

_I hear a high pitched scream. That scream can only be made by a twelve year old girl. I stand up and run to the screaming child. When I arrive, I can only see Faith on the ground, knife in her heart. I look up and a spear sails into my stomach. I fall to the ground, trying to glance at my killer. I see Lucifer running away from our bodies._

_Blood soaks my dress and turns it red._

I wake up to a constant beeping. IV needles are connected to multiple machines and a doctor is constantly at my side. I still look around, trying to assess what happened. What was the last thing that I remember before I was put under?

"Good morning, Jada!" Doctor Bloomburg says when he notices me looking around. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts." I confess. "What happened?"

"Well, we helped your children in your womb. They suffered some sort of a shock and that was their way of coping." The words sink in. The shocks Pace gave me flash into my mind. He hurt my children. "However, only one child seems very healthy at this point. And that child is the daughter. Your son, however, has suffered the worst."

"Wait. I have a son?" I ask. "You normally can't tell the gender until you are six months."

"Well, you are in the Capitol, not District Ten." Doctor Bloomburg says, crouching down to my eye level. "Capitol technology is more advanced. You are only twelve weeks along, meaning you shouldn't be able to be one hundred percent sure about the gender, or genders in your case. I am going to go check on a few things and I'll be back."

The wall slides up and he leaves.

I have a son? I'm twelve weeks along? I am...there are too many questions for what I feel right now. The Capitol has the best technology, and I could have never of guessed that they'll be able to tell the gender of my children in the early stages of my pregnancy.

The wall slid up and I saw the blond hair and emerald eyes. Quaid ran to my side and hugged me lightly. Annabelle and Shimmer walked in and waited their turn to see me. Questions filled the room faster than I could process them. Annabelle hugged me and told me that she was worried when she arrived to the hospital. Shimmer asked if my baby was okay.

"Is the baby alright?" Everyone said at once.

"Well, I am carrying twins." I reply, looking at the shock cross their eyes. "And, one of them is unhealthy. He is in shock of the t...t..." I couldn't get the word out.

"What?" Annabelle asks.

"Torture that I was put through." I spit out faster than I expected. They don't have any time to process my words before Doctor Bloomburg comes back in.

"Well, I see you met your visitors." He jokes as he moves closer to me. "Well, after the test results came back, I know more about your babies. Your girl is fine. Her breathing is normal and she is developing as normal. But, your son's developing has stopped. He will be weeks behind his sister. And, twins are prone to being delivered early. By this logic, he might not survive child birth."

No one said a word as Doctor Bloomburg finished.

**A/N: So, how did you like it? Okay, I know the time frame of the story makes no sense. But, let's just say that the train ride was not the only time they had 'intercourse'. That's the only way I can prove that she is twelve weeks. I am trying to post as many chapters as I can before Thursday, but I don't think I can. Read & review on, guys!**


	19. Exposing A Victor

As Doctor Bloomburg finished up writing a report on my health, no one said a word. My son, who I barely know, might die in childbirth. That won't be for a while, but he just might. I tried not to show my emotions, but they got the better of me. Tears began to fall from my eyes and I began wailing. Annabelle and Shimmer leave the room with Doctor Bloomburg, leaving me alone with Quaid.

I sit up from the bed and wrap my arms around Quaid. My tears fall onto his shoulders as I let my emotions out. My child might die in a matter of months. Why does this have to happen? Why couldn't I have stayed in District 10 my whole life, never going through the Games? If I didn't volunteer for Hadley, I would have never met Quaid. He's the only good thing that came from the Games. He shares the horrors with me and never leaves me alone.

Quaid begins to stroke my hair. "It'll be alright Jada. You never know if our son will make in childbirth." The tears in my eyes make it harder to speak to him. I can barely get a word out to him.

"I know, Quaid." I say through choking back tears. "But he…still m-might d-d-die." Tears began to stream down my face as I say those dreaded words. Now I know what it is like to witness your child dying.

Quaid makes me release him so we can look at each other. "What do you mean that you were tortured? I know you looked like you were in a tornado when we found you, but what happened?" I close my eyes and make sure I know that he is asking this question.

I take a deep breath and explain everything. Pace starving me, President Rector asking for the rebellion forces, and the electrical shocks. I explain in detail and I try to make sure he understands the pain I was put through and how I know why our son may not survive childbirth. His face shows the most shock I have seen in the time I have known him.

"I knew Pace was no good." He says, grabbing me. "Listen, I think we have to tell Panem that you are pregnant and that Pace tortured you."

"No!" I say loudly. "Pace is a victor and a favorite of Panem. They won't believe it."

"They might if you mention that your children are in danger of dying. Capitol citizens are suckers for sob stories, you know that." He pushes hair behind my ear. "They'll believe you anyway because we are Panem's favorite couple." He brings my lips to his, and I kiss him back.

He's right. If I were to make a public speech about Pace and my children, the Capitol may believe it. But, this means my family will find out about my children and I haven't been able to get in contact with them. Are they feeling abandoned since I said that I will live in 1 instead of 10? I know what I have to do; expose Pace for who he is.

Quaid has to leave for the night, even though I keep requesting that he stay. Doctor Bloomburg said that it was better if he went back to the Training Center. I stay the night in the hospital, sleeping on the cot. Those cots are very comfortable, rather than the ones in District 10. The ones in 10 are scratchy and they smell like animals. Not that I complain, but I only been in District 10's hospital once. It was when Jetta was born. I smile at that thought and close my eyes.

"_Listen, everyone!" I announce to the Capitol citizens in the square. They turn their weirdly colored heads to me. "Thank you. I must start off by saying that I am here longer for a reason. I was injected with Ragac, a drug that made me believe that Quaid was evil." Murmurs of my last statement run through the crowd. Cameras are trained on me and this is being broadcast all over Panem right now._

"_Ragac hasn't been used in over one hundred years." I try to quiet the crowd. "District Fourteen has been working on my cure, which I don't require anymore. However, I must say that the Ragac has been given to me by no other than Pace Caywood."_

_Everyone erupts in yells and shouts. I know that they don't believe me. I might as well be a liar for claiming that Pace, a past victor and a handsome boy, drugged me. They keep yelling and shouting and I can barely get them to quiet down._

"_Everyone!" I try. "Listen to me. I am not a liar. Pace drugged me, claiming that I was going to start another rebellion. He dunked me in water and shocked me with electricity. He then starved me and injected me with Ragac. What he didn't know was that I am pregnant with Quaid's children. He put my son in extreme danger of dying from childbirth."_

_Everyone listen to me with curiosity. Their eyes are trained on me, along with all the cameras. I know they can't believe it. How could I be pregnant? I thought they knew better. I look out to the crowd and I see Pace's face, boiling with anger. He shoves his way to the podium where I am standing and proceeds to take my stand away from me, distracting the citizens._

"_Don't believe this bitch." He screams, causing the microphone to give feedback. "She's a liar and a slut and her children are fake! She is only trying to get your sympathy!" The crowd begins to go into disarray and no one can control it. I turn to Pace and his eyes have turned blood red. He lunges at me and tackles me to the ground. He begins to change into a lizard mutt from the arena._

_His tongue hisses at me and his razor sharp teeth dig into my abdomen. I scream in pain, but none of the Capitol citizens look at me. They are too concerned about what Pace just told them. His teeth begin to dig deeper and deeper and they reach my children. I can't look at my stomach without seeing undeveloped embryos of my children. My screams become nothing but a whimper as President Rector pets Pace's lizard mutt._

"_Good boy, Pacy." He coos at the lizard and he hangs a chain with the number 3 on it. "Listen, Jada. Nothing you can say or do will affect the citizens. They will stand by my side five out of five times. The odds are never in your favor now." He pets Pace again and asks him to drag me away._

_His teeth sink into my wrist as I am taken away from the square. I am dragged through the Capitol, and no one looks at me. Blood trails smear the streets and Pace takes me somewhere unknown. The streets become a forest and I am tossed into a soft patch of grass. I take a look around in my disoriented state. It's a forest. I continue to look and I see a golden horn._

_I am in the Graveyard for the Fallen. He left me in the arena._

_Pace begins to eat away at me. First my legs, then my arms, then to my midsection. I can no longer feel the pain in my body and I am numb for anything that Pace does for me. Right before the death blow, Pace changes back into his human form. His eyes look at me, a useless hunk of meat in front of him. _

"_Sorry, sweetheart. You will not live to see the one hundred and seventy sixth Hunger Games." _

_His lizard bites me in the heart._

I wake up covered in sweat and looking in a dark hospital room. The clock on the wall reads 2:29 am. The lights from outside give me enough light to see my hands. They are trembling and drenched in sweat. I lie back down and try to sleep. Why are my dreams getting worse and worse? Will I ever recover from the Games?

My eyes close and I think of Philomena. I think of Loco and Diamond Dancer. Before I move to District 1, I _must_ see my farm one last time.

When I awake in the morning, Doctor Bloomburg is disconnecting me from all the hospital equipment. He told me that I was in a stable condition and I could go home. He also told me that if I feel any pain, I must come right back and he will work on the children. I am given my clothes and escorted into the restroom. I change into a shirt with the Capitol seal on it and some jeans. My boots are placed on my feet and I am ready to go and expose the District 3 victor.

I walk all the way to the Training Center by myself, hoping to surprise Quaid. While walking, I notice all the buildings. Most are made of glass and they are tinted so that I can't see in. Do the citizens feel safer that way? I continue to walk as I place my hair in a high ponytail.

When I enter the Training Center, I go straight to the elevator and go to floor 1. I wipe my forehead free of sweat as the elevator stops on my floor. I exit and try to find Quaid. He is sitting on the couch watch Capitol news. I quietly creep up to him and kiss him from behind. He jumps slightly, but then places a hand on my cheek. I hold onto his hand and deepen the kiss. I let go and sit next to him.

"Hello there, Cowgirl." He calls me by my nickname. "What are you doing here?"

"Doctor Bloomburg let me go." I reply, grabbing his hand. "Besides, we need to expose a past victor today." I kiss Quaid one last time before I go to my bathroom to take a shower. I got in and quickly washed off two days in the hospital. I used a mint smelling shampoo and a mint body wash before exiting the shower.

I let the blow dryer dry my hair completely and I wrap myself in a fluffy towel. I exit the bathroom and enter my bedroom. In the closet, there is an array of clothes and dresses I have worn since coming here. I grab the ball gown I wore in District 1 and slip into the dress. The dress feels tighter than the last time I wore it. Probably since I gained weight from carrying two children. I slip into the heels that go along with it.

I exit my bedroom and go to Quaid's bedroom. He was still getting dressed, and he didn't notice me in the doorway. He pulled on his shirt from our visit to District 10 and he pulled on the jeans and diamond studded cowboy boots. It wasn't until after he combed his hair that he saw me staring at him.

"I see we dressed up as each other's districts." I joke, noticing the cowboy boots.

"Okay, District One." He says, coming closer to me. His hand is wrapped around my waist and he pulls me closer. His lips meet mine gently and I kissed him back. I wanted to deepen the kiss, but I need to look presentable if I am going to convince the Capitol that Pace hurt me.

Quaid and I leave our floor without telling Shimmer or Annabelle. We go to the square and round up as many citizens as we can before I can start talking. A group of over two hundred Capitol citizens gather to see me and Quaid. A few cameras were trained on us and I made sure everyone can see me. I smoothed out my dress and looked at the colorful citizens.

"Everyone!" I make a few citizens turn their heads. "I need to say a few things. I was recently at the hospital for personal issues. I was there because one of my twins is having a hard time surviving inside of me." A few citizens look around at each other. "Yes, I am pregnant with twins and they are Quaid's children."

A few citizens grab onto each other in excitement. I just said the words that everyone wanted to hear. "I am sorry to inform you that one of my twins may not survive. When I disappeared from President Rector's mansion, I was taken by Pace Caywood and given electrical shocks. That is why my child is not doing so well."

The cameras are still trained on me and they don't look like they'll budge. I wonder if President Rector is watching this right now. Or is he just not paying any attention to his citizens? Either way, he might watch this later. It might be broadcasted all day. I clear my throat and begin speaking again.

"I was tortured by Pace because he believed I had rebel forces in Ten." I place a hand on my stomach. "That wasn't the case. But he still starved me and tortured me and now my children will have to suffer the effects of it. Pace also injected me with a one hundred year old drug called Ragac. It made me believe that Quaid was evil and he wanted to harm me. Pace is not the man you think he is. He tricked me and manipulated me and almost destroyed my relationship with Quaid."

The crowd began to murmur about what I just said. I can see them looking around in confusion. Victors don't ever hurt other victors. Why would they want to? They have already fought as much as they needed to in the arena and they don't need to harm anyone anymore. I see some heads turn to the back of the crowd. I saw Pace's ash blond hair. My heart sank to my stomach.

His cheeks grew red and he moved his way up here. He didn't push and shove like he did in my dream. He calmly moved to me and Quaid and stood in front of everyone. He hung his head and said something inaudible. Quaid tapped Pace's shoulder and asked him to speak up. Pace nodded and looked to the whole crowd.

"Jada is right. I did do all those things to her. I was only under orders. I can not disclose who that is, but I was under strict orders." The Capitol citizens gasped at their past victor. He admitted to hurting me.

Quaid and I thanked the Capitol and left the square. We walked back to the Training Center, proud of ourselves for exposing Pace. When we reached our floor, Shimmer was all in our faces. "What the hell was that? You could have put yourselves in danger! Or your children! You know what could happen to you two?"

"What was wrong with telling the Capitol about them?" I ask, unsure why she is so upset.

"Pace was under orders of President Rector. You showed him up!"

**A/N: How was it? I enjoyed it, because of Jada exposing Pace. It needed to be done. I want to thank all the people who read _Panem's Victors_, even though it is not quite over yet. I have about seven or nine chapters planned, maybe less because this leads into _Death All Around_. Here are a few people you should check out: PeetasGirl8, ActressAssassian2010, & mar9215. I want to thank everyone who sent in a tribute for _Death All Around_ and how many of you are supporting it. Read and review on, guys! :)**


	20. Wedding Plans

"What do you mean 'showed him up'?" I ask Shimmer as she sits us down. A cup of hot chocolate has been placed in my hands as Shimmer took her seat across from me and Quaid.

"You see, Jada, the president decides what can be rebellious and what can slip through." She started, sipping her warm drink. "In exposing his 'lackey', you are sparking a rebellion in his eyes. He graced you two by letting you both live. Remember Katniss and Peeta? President Snow made the same mistake by letting them both live. In effect, the Second Rebellion was born. Rector might see you two as the new Katniss and Peeta."

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. New Katniss and Peeta? Why would I test Panem and President Rector? Since the Second Rebellion failed, everyone knew to take orders from the Capitol and don't ask questions. Now that I am pregnant, a third rebellion is the _very _last thing on my mind. Quaid and I didn't defy the Capitol like they did. We just proved our love to let us both live. Did Rector set up Pace's advances and torture to make me an unfaithful bitch?

Quaid began to rub my back. Tears began to form in my eyes. The truth hurts, quite literally. I know I have to tell Quaid of my infidelity, even if it might kill him on the inside. The ring on my finger means nothing without truth and honesty. I have to tell him about the torture and the lies Pace fed me. And, I fear that my family is in danger. I can't imagine Jace and Jetta living without me, or vice versa.

I choke back my tears and look into Quaid's emerald eyes. "Quaid, I have to tell you something." He pushes my bangs from my eyes and looks at me.

"Anything." He says, eager to hear my words.

"Pace tricked me into sleeping with him." I say quickly, trying to get as much out before he erupts. "I think Rector set him up for it. Pace lied to me and he soaked me in water and shocked me. That is why one of our children won't make it past childbirth. Rector asked me about rebellion forces in Ten, and I fear Jace and Jetta and my parents are in danger." Quaid's eyes never change emotion. It wasn't until I mentioned Jace and Jetta when his eyes began to dim.

"Cowgirl, Pace told me about you two sleeping together." He says, his voice not cracking. "I made it clear to him that I was going to come after him if he did it again. Shh. It'll be fine, my dear." He places my cup on the table as he encases me in a hug. My tears began to seep into his shirt as I let my feelings out. Nothing hurt me more than to think of my innocent siblings being hurt by Rector because of my poor choices. They will not be hurt because of me.

Quaid grabs me and places me in his lap. His lips touch the top of my head and my tears keep falling. His shirt must look like District 4 right now. I lift my head and he wipes my tears away. I turn to Shimmer and look to her for an answer. "How will we make President Rector believe that we won't start another rebellion?"

Shimmer sips her drink and looks at me. "Well, you have a multitude of choices. One, tell him yourself. Two, go on air and apologize to him and all of Panem. Three, get married quickly and head to District One before the 176th Hunger Games begin."

Quaid and I look to each other. Our choices are simple. We cut out option two, for the sake of not going on air until our wedding. The first option seems just as unlikely as the second. I know what we have to do before either one of us has to say it. I stand up calmly and head for the phone on the wall. I have only used one once when I gave the Victor's Village home to Hadley. I pick up the phone and begin to dial a number.

"What are you doing?" Shimmer asks, standing up.

"Calling Eleora. I need a stunning dress for our wedding don't I?"

...

The next day, I am twirling in an elaborate wedding gown. It is slim fitting at the top, bell shaped skirt, the sleeves go to the base of my fingers, and the veil on the top of my head goes to my chest. Eleora finishes up the touches on my dress and asks me to twirl again. My stylist never fails when it comes to any of my outfits; luckily I am not stark naked in any of my outfits.

"You look lovely, Jada." She says, pulling the veil over my face. "Quaid is one lucky man to have you."

"Thank you Eleora, for doing this." She places a hand over my mouth.

"No need for thanks, sweetie." She says, grabbing a few more needles. "I am doing my job as a Capitol stylist and I do not need thanked. Besides, you are my favorite victor and I will do anything to make my favorite victor happy."

Since I called Eleora yesterday, she has poured so much work into starting the wedding plans. She had one of her friends make the invitations and to ask President Rector to use his mansion as the location for the ceremony and reception. Shimmer and Annabelle began working as well, picking out flowers and decorations for the ceremony. Quaid went with his stylist, Cleo, to pick out a suit. Everything seems to be in order for our day.

Did I mention we will be getting married in a week?

Everyone is working super hard to get everything in order. President Rector has allowed for us to use his mansion for one day. I am just hoping that he forgot about our 'rebellion spark'. All this planning sure made me forget. I am too exhausted to even remember what I said about Pace a few days ago. Eleora sticks a few more needles into my dress and begins to work.

"Sweetie, your wedding will beat every wedding that happened in the Capitol!" She says, her lips closed around a few pins.

"Thank you. I wish I could have gotten married like we do in Ten." I say, thinking about how my parents described their marriage. Our weddings are nothing elaborate like in the Capitol. My parents might envy my wedding because I was in the Capitol rather than in 10.

"How do they do it there? I have always wanted to know what weddings are like in outlying districts." Eleora asks, her mouth still filled with pins against her lips.

I explain everything to her, only hearing slight 'mm-hmm' from her every now and again. She doesn't seem fazed by how simple the weddings are, because we are an outlying district after all. She continues her work as I continue to explain. Her work on my dress is coming to a close as the last pin enters the body of the wonderful white gown. She stands back, admiring her work.

"Darling, when you get married next week, the Capitol will completely fawn over your dress. They are going to order it for years." She says, grabbing my hand.

She's right. The dress looks fantastic. The sleeves have pearls sewn on them, and they connect to make a swirl like pattern. The top part of my dress was slim fitting, but gave me enough room if I grew for my twins. The skirt was in the same idea as my sleeves, but shimmering gems were sewn on instead of peals. The dress's train had gems on as well, and the train was about a foot or two long. The veil had tiny gems sewn on the edges and it fell effortlessly onto my face.

I twist the engagement ring on my finger and I feel the tingles going up my stomach. The more I think about the wedding, the more nervous I get. I never thought that the Hunger Games would give me someone as wonderful as Quaid. If anything, I thought it would give me my death and nothing more. But, here I am in a wedding gown. Eleora begins to unzip the gown and I slip out of it. I am standing in my tank top and some shorts Eleora found from past victors. She hangs the dress on the wall and has me look at it.

"Imagine you walking down the aisle with that wonderful creation on your shoulders." She says, admiring her work once more. "Everyone in Panem will tune into your wedding. I cannot wait until next week! I have so many surprises for you and Quaid. Go on, you are excused." Eleora shoos me out of the room and I am alone in the apartment.

With Quaid, Shimmer, and Annabelle out and busy, I have nothing to do. I decide to slip on my boots and go to the elevator. Why not harm some more dummies that don't mind taking beatings year after year? I press the 'T' on the button dial and the elevator whizzes me to my location. The door opens and I feel the rush I felt when I first arrived here months ago for my Games. I enter the gymnasium where dummies have been lain out and weapons have been shown off. Probably a bunch of Capitol children decided to take a tour of the wonderful gym where their favorite victors trained.

I walk over to my favorite station and run my fingers over the handle. It felt natural when I first arrived, and it still does. The thrill of picking up a deadly weapon will never leave my body. I grab the knife and clutch it in my fingers. I get into my stance and get ready to throw the knife. When the weapon leaves my fingers, I hear someone walking in the empty gym. I turn around and I see the leader of Panem in the training gymnasium. The knife sticks to the dummy, staying on his heart.

"Nice shot, Jada." He admires, walking closer to me. "I see why you were such a threat in the Games." He voice is more deadpan than his normal voice, suggesting that he is unimpressed.

"Yes, I did score a ten, remember?" I ask, running my fingers over another knife.

"I do remember." He says, a foot away from me. "What did your district partner receive? A five? Oh, he was only twelve. Poor thing. You could have saved him instead of saving your own life."

"What do you want?" I ask, throwing the knife without looking. I hear a thud and I see it stuck to the dummy's forehead.

"I want to congratulate you on your wedding." He says. "The marriage of two victors is something to celebrate, not to condemn. Besides, you have children to take care of." He places a hand on my shoulder. His fingers are ice cold.

"Who knows? After that torture, I may never have them." I say with irritation in my voice.

"I had no intention to kill your children." He says, removing his ice cold fingers. "I want to apologize for hurting your children. If your children make it, I give you and Quaid the best of luck."

Something about this conversation freaked me out. Normally, I can come into the gym and throw knives without any distraction. Did President Rector forget about the 'rebellion spark'? I think he did, because he doesn't mention it. He congratulated me one last time before leaving the gym. His cold embrace left me with the shivers and I couldn't shake them off.

I grab another knife and throw it. It sticks onto his stomach. A few more knives are thrown in the air and they all land on the dummy to ensure death. I never understood why I enjoy throwing these dangerous weapons. They have the force to kill anyone who steps in their path. Jae, Faith, and Kade come to mind. I threw my weapons in defense and they killed innocent people. I killed those children and I still enjoy holding these weapons. Who am I?

I grab one more knife and throw it at the dummy. It hits him in the heart and sticks. I walk over and take out each knife I threw. I counted twenty knives before walking back to the line. I organized each knife the way they were before I moved away from the deadly weapons. Those weapons have caused innocent children to die every year. I need to stop touching those weapons.

As I move to the elevator, I still think about what Rector said. _You could have saved him instead of saving your own life. _If I were to sacrifice my life for Stiles, he would probably be going through what I am. The nightmares, the guilt, and the constant horror of Panem. The horrors of Panem are too great for a twelve year old boy to face. The elevator comes as I call it and it opens.

"Jada!" A young voice calls out my name. I look down and see two young children running to me. The little girl hugs my legs and the boy throws his arms around my neck.

"Jace! Jetta!" I say as I hug them back.

**A/N: AWWW! Okay, I feel really bad because I feel like I am rushing to complete this because I am trying to get it done so I can completely focus on **_**Death All Around**_**. It is really hard to do two stories at once, especially if one takes place five months later than the other. Please tell me what you think so I can improve (I seriously need your feedback). Can you please read **_**Death All Around **_**and tell me what you think? Can you also take my poll please? Thank you so much!**

**PeetasGirl8:**** Hey, did you think that Chapter 19 was too much like the book? When I read your review, I freaked out. **

**Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing! :)**


	21. Of Cellos & Violins

I hold onto my siblings tightly, allowing them to strangle me until I can't breathe. Because of Pace and President Rector, I have been in the Capitol longer than I should have been. Jace and Jetta have been seeing less and less of me since I won. Now that I moving to District 1, I may never see them again. A hand is placed on my shoulder. I look up and see the tanned figure of my father.

I jump up and hug the man who I have missed dearly. His hug pulls me from the ground. He still smells like the farm. I can smell the cattle on him and the poultry. Tears fall onto his shoulder as I smell home. He places me back on the ground and wipes my tears away. I gently hug my mother, but I notice a stronger feeling to her. She must have been working in the fields since I left.

"What are you all doing here?" I ask, wiping the remaining tears away.

"Do you think we would miss our daughter's wedding?" My mother asked, and I let out a laugh. "Congratulations on your children!" My mom places a hand on my stomach, and I restrain on telling her about Pace. She must have already known, because she removes her hand as quickly as she placed it on my stomach.

The conversation was all about my wedding. We had everything planned out, from when it started to the ending of the party. No one brought up Pace or the president, which was all I could have asked for. As I went into the elevator, they followed me to my floor. When we arrived, Jace and Jetta ran for Quaid. His face was just like mine when I first saw them step out of the elevator. He swung Jetta onto his back and had her sit on his shoulders. Jace kept jabbering away about the animals on our farm.

My mother took me aside and led me into a different room. She sat me on my bed and sat beside me. Her eyes filled with tears while thinking about something. Her eyes reddened the longer we sat there. Her hand is placed on my back and she begins to use her nails to soothe me.

"I know about what happened a while ago. I am the only one that knows." She says, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How are you the only one that knows?" I ask.

"They were all outside with the animals and I was inside, making lunch. They don't know about the problems your children may be facing." A tear slips from her eye and travels down her face. I reach to wipe it away, but she shoos my hand away.

"Is that why you are here, besides my wedding?" I coax more information out of her. Her head bobs in a way we used back home, meaning that she is confirming my answer.

"Yes. I want to know if you and your children are alright." Her arms encase me in a hug and I wrap my arms around her. If she did try to explain to Jace and Jetta, they wouldn't understand. My father may not have wanted to hear it. He might have gone after Pace and killed him. My grip tightens on my mother as tears threaten to fall. Out of my whole family, she would understand.

"Mom." I start. "How do you feel that I am moving to District One?" The hug ends and my mother looks into my eyes. Hers are red and filled with water. She wipes her tears away and continues to look at me.

…

Everything is in place. The guests have been seated (I believe President Rector invited six hundred people), the band is keeping them happy, and my family is waiting the moment when I become Jada Ethers. Eleora is placing the dress on my body, making sure everything looks right. She weaves pearls in my hair and places two small cut diamonds at the corners of my eyes. Eleora is right; Quaid is a lucky man.

She places the veil on my head and stands back to marvel her work. I look like I did last week, when we were creating the dress. The top still has room for my stomach and the body is still bell shaped. If I was back in 10, my wedding wouldn't have been as…elaborate as the ones in the Capitol. I probably would have worn my mother's old wedding gown. I am truly graced with the opportunity to get married here.

I twirl in a circle and wait for Eleora's signal to start walking down the aisle. The bridesmaids (is that what they are called?) have to walk first. Annabelle, Shimmer, and Jetta are among two others of my bridesmaids. I think they are also past victors, but I am not sure. The weddings here, although beautiful, are really confusing.

I begin to think about my family. After the wedding party (is it called a _reception_?), Quaid and I will change out of our wedding stuff and move to District 1. When that happens, my family will go on a train marked 10 while I step onto one marked 1. My mother told me that it was my choice to move there, but I need to visit 10 once a year, at least. I'm glad that they are happy that I am moving to 1.

"Ready to be wed?" Eleora comes back in, holding my hand. The butterflies in my stomach flapped faster with every step to my new life.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I say, standing behind a train of bridesmaids. Shimmer and Annabelle lead the group with Jetta following behind. My father comes up beside me and stares at me in awe. He is wearing a deep black suit and has a rose sticking out from his pocket. His hair is slicked back and the buzz on his chin is no longer there. His hands try to caress my face, but Eleora smacks his palms.

"Don't ruin her make-up, sir!" She says. "It took a while to get everything right, you know." My dad held up his hands in surrender.

"All I am here to do is escort her down the isle." He says, watching Eleora walk away. He turns his attention back to me. "Sweetie, you look lovely. Quaid is waiting for you."

"Thank you, Daddy." I choke back my tears. I stand side by side with him until someone tells me to go.

The door opens and music fills the air. Shimmer walks in, with her green dress flowing behind her. Annabelle follows her and the past victors follow her. Jetta brings up the rear, trying not to trip over her eight year old legs. I loop my arm through my father's as someone tells us to move. I take my first step, hoping not to trip and spoil the wedding.

The walk from the door to Quaid is about ten minutes. We rented out the biggest room to fit so many guests. The veil over my face covers my expression. Tears threaten to fall as my dad and I walk up to my soon-to-be husband. I spot Jace and my mother in the front, standing with everyone else to honor the bride. A few Capitol citizens whisper to one another about my dress. I ignore them and look to Quaid, who is waiting for me to meet him at the alter.

I am mere steps away from Quaid now. Cleo did a wonderful job with him. His hair has some gel in it and it brings out the blond in his hair. His suit was the color of raven, but had small accents of gold to represent his district color. A similar rose to my father's was in his suit pocket. His emerald eyes lit up when he saw me. When I reached the alter, my father kissed my cheek and handed me over to Quaid, who couldn't stop smiling.

The man in front of us began speaking. I didn't pay attention; I was too shocked that today was the day. A year ago, if you told me that I would be a victor of the Hunger Games and marrying a man from District 1, I wouldn't have believed you. But, it is happening right now. Quaid and I are getting married, moving to District 1, and having our children. Nothing can destroy my mood.

"May we have the rings, please?" the man (who I assumed was the priest) asked. A little Capitol boy came up from beside him, two rings on a plush red pillow. One of the rings had a diamond in the center, and the other was a solid gold ring. Quaid grabbed the ring with the diamond center and I grabbed the solid gold ring.

"Quaid, repeat after me." The priest says and Quaid takes a hold of my left hand. After every word the priest says, Quaid repeats it. He slides the ring on my finger, and I do what he does.

"Quaid." I start to repeat the priest. "With this ring, I promise to stand by your side. For better or for worse, for rich or for poor, to love and to cherish." With the last line, I slid the ring onto his finger, excitement bubbling inside of me. The priest began speaking once again, but all I heard is 'kiss the bride'.

Quaid faced me and lifted the veil from my face. I wrap my arms around his neck and place my lips to his. The crowd roared and pictures were being taken of our first kiss as husband and wife. Our kiss ends and we face the crowd full of people who were our fans during the Hunger Games. Quaid and I lock hands and throw them in the air, causing the people to scream more. We started to walk down the isle, ready to be taken to our party.

Once we reached a separate room, Jace and Jetta ran over to me. Jace was dressed in a simple plaid shirt and nice dress pants, but still wore his signature cowboy boots. Jetta wore the same dress as Annabelle wore, but in a smaller size. Jetta grabbed my hand and admired the ring. I think she could see her reflection in it.

"I want a ring like that when I am older." She says, touching the ring.

"Find a nice boy and you just might, Jetta." I pull her in for a hug, kissing her forehead. Jace came to me, hugging me tightly.

"Congratulations, Jada." He whispers into my hair. He has grown so much since I have seen him. I missed his thirteenth birthday because of the Capitol, but he didn't mind. He knew why I was here, even if it wasn't the exact reason. I am only five foot two in heels, and he must have grown to be five foot five. I have to look up to him when I talk.

"Thank you, Jacey." I reply, pushing his hair from his eyes. "Happy thirteenth, huh?" He lets out a little laugh as I hug Jace and Jetta again.

We are moved from our separate room to a small room behind a ball room. The guests have all taken their seats, awaiting the new couple and the wedding party. Jace, my mother and my father are already in the ball room, waiting patiently for me and Quaid. He slips his hand on my waist and pulls me closer.

"We finally did it." He voiced caressed my ear. "We are finally married."

"Isn't it wonderful?" I ask. Suddenly, one by one, the wedding party moved out and the crowd cheered. An announcer said 'Mr. and Mrs. Ethers' and we entered the ball room. The cameras no longer fazed me and we took our place on the dance floor.

A slow song preformed by musicians wielding cellos and violins filled the air and Quaid and I took our first dance. The chandelier above us gave us enough reflected light to see each other. I rest my head on his chest and reflected on everything that happened to me. I never thought I would volunteer for the Games and fall in love with a District 1 boy, let alone marry him. I never thought my last name would change so suddenly from Caldwell to Ethers just because of me and my Games. And I never thought I would have children so early in my life.

Quaid lifts up my head by guiding my lips to his. His lips are soft to the touch, and make me feel at home. The music by the cellos began to fill my ears and everything felt so calm. A feel of normalcy came over me as our lips separated.

Everything changed in an instant. The chandelier began to flicker before it shut off completely, leaving everyone in the dark. Screams came from all directions while Quaid's arms wrapped around me protectively. After ten more seconds of blind screaming, the lights turned back on. No one noticed a difference. I couldn't tell what happened. Another scream pierced the air as I looked around. My mother kept screaming. Jetta was no longer in her chair.

**A/N: How did you like it? I actually got this out on its release date! Anyway, I think this is a shorter chapter, only coming in at 2,221 words without the Author's Note (I couldn't get one more word in). So, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and who is still reading this. I am very grateful for that. Please read and review and give me anything that can improve my writing (grammar and spelling doesn't count. I already suck at those, and I shall improve).**

**Also, how is school going for you all? I would love to know! :)**


	22. At The Stroke of Midnight

My eyes are trained on Jetta's empty chair. Being only eight, she could have hid under the table when the lights went out. She does that at home to mess with me. Quaid's arms are wrapped around my body, holding me close to him. I watch as my father looks under the tables for my baby sister. Quaid's grip tightened as my father shrugged his shoulders. Jetta isn't in the ball room.

"Jetta!" I yell. The only response is silence. Tears began to sting my eyes as I kept yelling my sister's name. Jetta never responded. Tears were released and flowed down my cheeks. "Jetta." I sink to the floor, Quaid's body being my wall. Tears continued to fall as I realize my sister is gone. She's gone.

Quaid moved from behind me to in front of me. His warm hand wiped away my tears, but they kept coming. I threw myself at him, holding onto him tightly. His arms encase me and hide me from the ball room full of our wedding guests. Why did I expose Pace? If I didn't expose him, Jetta wouldn't have gotten taken. I probably wouldn't have gotten married. Why did I do what I did? My tears leave their marks on Quaid's shoulder as I slowly realize that I may never see Jetta again.

A hand rests on my shoulder and another one begins to stroke my hair. I look up from Quaid's chest and see him stroking my hair. I turn to see Jace beside me with his hand on my shoulder. "Jetta's fine. I know she is. You wanna know why?" I sniff and wipe away some of my tears.

"Why?" I ask, looking into Jace's eyes.

"Because she's our sister." He says, fixing my hair. "And she can do anything we can do."

I let a smile cross my face, but I know his words are empty. She'll be up against Capitol Peacekeepers, or Pace, or President Rector. She's only eight years old and she's defenseless. No, Jace is right. Jetta can do anything because she has that mindset. She has to do it or there is no use. She can escape whoever took her and return to me and the family.

Quaid pulls me from the floor and holds me in his arms. Words continue to escape his lips, words like 'It's okay' and 'She'll be fine.' I can't bring myself to believe those words, but I wipe my tears away and cover up my sadness. I let my tears dry and I let go of Quaid to wrap my arms around my little brother. If Jetta is gone, I don't want to lose Jace too.

Something catches my eye as I embrace Jace. A ribbon is behind him, the same ribbon Jetta was wearing in her hair. I let go of Jace and bend over to pick up the thick ribbon from the floor. It still has her initial stitched in, but something feels off about this. I run my fingers over the whole ribbon and my fingers latch onto something taped on. I turn the ribbon over and see a piece of paper on the back. As if to mock me, the Capitol seal is printed on the paper.

I untapped the paper and unfolded it. I saw printed words, but couldn't quite read them. Who is messing with me? Once I unfolded the paper one last time, I saw a letter, written to me.

_Jada, your rebellion spark doesn't go unpunished. Since I am reasonable, you have until the stroke of midnight to find your precious sister. I'll give you a hint; she's somewhere in this room. May the odds be ever in your favor!_

President Rector! The paper wasn't signed, but I know he did it. He's the only one that refers to exposing Pace as a _rebellion spark_. What did he mean 'she's somewhere in this room'? This room is as open as the arena and, if someone was hiding, we'd find them in minutes. I glance to the clock and read the time. 10:16pm. I have less than two hours to find Jetta.

"Everyone start looking for Jetta!" I yell to my family and the guests. "I have received information that she is somewhere in this room. We have less than two hours to find her before she gets hurt." Quaid, Jace, and I exchanged glances. We go different directions and begin to search.

I slip my heels off and walk bare foot. I walk to the furthest corner of the room and work my way inward. Since I made the announcement about finding Jetta, about one or two hundred guests left. Only three hundred remain, and they aren't even out of their chairs. Oh, sure. If it were their sisters or daughters missing, they'd make everyone help. Thanks a lot Capitolites. Nice to know that you love your past victors so much that you can't help them find lost family members.

I make my way from the corner to the middle of the room, not interrupting the Capitolites. They continue to sit and wait for us to find something. A woman with cyan skin has her eyes trained on me. She doesn't whisper any rude comments or judgments. She simply watches my movements. When I pass her table, she doesn't laugh with her friends. She continues to watch me. I look into her cyan irises and realize that she doesn't want to mock me. I look away and continue my search for Jetta.

My eyes are trained on the floor. Something has to be hidden from eyesight. Jetta is small, but not that small. My foot catches on something and I almost face plant onto the dance floor. I regain my balance and look to where I tripped. The dance floor is slightly raised from the actual floor. I bend down and slide my fingers underneath the dance floor. A pull upwards and a creaking noise echoes throughout the ball room. Quaid and Jace run to my side to help me pull up the dance floor. Thankfully, some of the stronger Capitol citizens help us pull up the dance floor entirely. They rest the 'floor' on the wall and are faced something odd.

An underground tunnel system.

My eyes quickly shoot to the clock. 10:50pm. We only have about one more hour to find her. "I see the entrance." Quaid says. He points to a trap door with a circle handle. We look to each other and nod. We have to go down there if we want to find her. A hand pulls me back from the entrance and I am face to face with Eleora. Her hand goes to the skirt of the dress and she unsnaps it. The full bell-shaped skirt is tossed to the side and I am only wearing a mini skirted version of my dress.

"Always be prepared in the Capitol, sweetie." She says, and I wrap my arms around her. She takes off my veil and tosses it with the skirt. "Go find Jetta." She says and pushes some hair behind my ears. I nod and see Quaid talking to some Capitol citizens. They follow him as we walk to the entrance of the tunnels. He looks to me and sees the look in my face.

"We need numbers." He explains. "What if there is a separation? I have my fair share of Capitol movies and I know what we could run into." I lock my fingers with his and look into his emerald eyes.

"This is not how I envisioned my wedding." I say, his eyes lighting up. "Ready?" He nods and he opens the tunnel. There is only room for a single file line. Quaid looks to the group of Capitolites behind us. "Everyone needs to be in a single file line. I'll go first, just to make sure it's safe." He walks slowly, his shadow flickering against the walls. There must be torches down there. His eyes look to me and motion me to come down.

I walk slowly, allowing Jace to go behind me. The staircase is only fit for a single file line, but the hallways can hold up to a five person line, left to right. We watch as the Capitolites climb down the stairs. The cyan woman I saw earlier is behind me, following our steps. We start to move slowly, with everyone following our lead. The cyan woman is in between me and Jace. She looks like she was dipped in cyan paint. I could have sworn I could smell lavender on her. She catches my gaze and smiles.

"Hello, Jada. I never thought I'd meet you in person." Her voice is light, however, it is thick with the Capitol accent. "My name is Demetria. I threw you a rose at the tribute parade. Well, it was in your direction but it missed your chariot." She kept talking about the parade and how I was her favorite tribute. I learned that she wanted to live in District 10, because she calls it 'charmingly rustic'.

"Thank you, Demetria." I reply, looking straight ahead. "I could send you to District Ten so you can visit it. I can give you a personal tour." I offer. Her eyes light up. I have never met a person, much less a Capitolite, fascinated with District 10. We are normally overlooked because we specialize in 'smelly, overweight cows'. But, we aren't as overlooked as 5 and 6 are.

"I would love a tour of Ten." She says, her eyes not looking away from me. She couldn't have been older than twenty two. "Well, after we find your sister. Who do you think took her?"

I look away, trying to avoid it. Personally, I think Rector took her. But, I am talking to a Capitol citizen. They worship their president and will always stick by his side. I sigh before I answer. "I'm not sure. Someone who didn't like me winning, I guess." We continue to walk straight, with Quaid leading the group.

Demetria and I talk about District 10 and the animals. Unlike most of the Capitolites, she actually likes large animals. She actually isn't from Panem originally, and she lived in a country where large animals, such as cattle and horses, were important for life. When she turned eighteen, she decided to move to Panem to get a change of scenery. She chose the Capitol, which is a good choice for a rich, young woman. She told me that her skin is originally tan, but in order to fit in, she had to dye it a certain color. She even missed her brown hair, the color of my hair. She didn't tell me which country she was from, but I bet it sounds amazing.

Quaid stopped the group at a three way crossing. The tunnel to the left was more lit than the tunnel on the right. The one straight ahead was filled with cement, meaning we only had two choices. Quaid turned around and began shouting orders. "Half of us will go left; the other half will go right. We need to keep some people at this crossing to tell us which tunnel leads to Jetta."

I began to walk to the left tunnel, and Quaid slips his fingers in between mine. Demetria decided to walk with us, making my nerves settle. Talking to this Capitolite was refreshing, and it kept my mind from Jetta. How long were we even down here? Quaid led the group down the tunnel, where we heard whispers. Everyone, as if on cue, shut their mouths to listen to the whispering. No one could make out any words, so we kept on walking.

Jace wasn't by my side. He decided to go through the other tunnel with my parents. With my fingers interlocked with Quaid's and my arm looped through Demetria's, I felt like I could get Jetta back. We made a sudden left turn and the whispering got louder. Quaid stopped the group in their tracks to listen. A hiss was heard through the whispers. I could faintly make out the words.

"_Quit your crying. You know no one can find you. You are a useless little girl. See that clock? You only have two minutes until…well…I can't tell you. That'll ruin the surprise."_

JETTA! I know that she's with whoever is talking. I take off from Quaid and Demetria and I keep running straight. The whispering gets louder and louder as I keep running. I make a sharp left, ignoring the group behind me. I need to get to Jetta before something happens to her. How long have I been running? Certainly not two minutes. I push that thought from my head as my bare feet touch cold tiles. The tunnels lead into an underground torture chamber.

I see Jetta tied to a chair, looking away from me at a clock. A man in sterile white is prepping a needle. My eyes glance to the clock, which reads 11:59pm. I run to the chair with Jetta strapped to it, but the clock suddenly changes to 12:00am as my hand grazes the chair. The man looks at me on the floor and smiles. "Sorry, dear. You just missed your appointment. You have to wait until Miss Jetta is done with hers."

"Jada!" Jetta says, but her voice wasn't the only voice that spoke out. Quaid and Demetria's voice said my name, running to my side. I look to Jetta's eyes, normally so bright and happy. They have turned to a dull shade of green as the man injects a needle into her arm.

"Jetta!" I yell as her eyes begin to close. I stand up and look to the man with the needle. I lunge for him, taking him to the ground. I fists meet his cheeks over and over. He took the life from my sister, who was only eight years old. Quaid pulls me off of the man with me still kicking and screaming. "Who are you working for? Tell me! Tell me who made you kill my sister!"

The man stands up and clutches his stomach. "A man by the name of Ace 'Cap' Woody ordered me to inject her." My heart sank. Neither Pace nor Rector was behind this. I turn to face Jetta, who looked so peaceful and asleep. But, I know she wasn't asleep. I was too late to save her.

**A/N: Yes, a new chapter of this wonderful story is up! Who is Ace 'Cap' Woody? That's for me to know and for you to find out in one week. I know, such a long time to wait for another chapter. But school is tomorrow and I am not updating during the school week. Sorry, that is just how I roll. What did you think of Demetria? Let me know in a review. :)**

**You know, you guys are awesome. On Friday night, I went to a football game (I had no choice; I'm in the marching band). In the span of a football game, I have gotten four reviews collectively from _Death All Around _and _Panem's Victors. _You guys make me so happy and I can't express my gratitude. (:  
**


	23. Jetta's Farewell & Jada's Realization

I untie Jetta's bonds and hold her limp body to my chest. Thanks to my ignorant actions, my sister paid the price. Innocent, eight year-old Jetta paid the highest price of all: death. The injection has worked its way through her veins and went to her heart. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find a pulse on her body. Her life slipped from my hands and I couldn't get it back. Tears flowed from my eyes to my cheeks. Jetta is gone because of me.

Through my tear clogged voice, I find the strength to talk to her corpse. I don't care if Capitol citizens are watching. I need to say good-bye to my baby sister. "I'm s…sorry, Jetta. This wouldn't have happened if I kept my mouth shut about Pace. I…I was so ignorant…why did I do that?" My tears fell on her peaceful face and into her hair. The blond hair that made her who she was. I no longer saw her green eyes sparkle at me. Her eyes weren't open, looking at me. I held onto the little girl that gave me the inspiration to come home from the Games. The Games can't hurt her now.

A hand touched my shoulder. I turned to see Quaid, tears in his eyes as well and crouching next to me. "Jada. She's gone." He runs a hand through her silky hair and wipes my tears from her face.

"I know, I just can't believe it." I replied, staring at my sister in my lap. "She was too young to leave me. Younger than the age for the Games. Whoever ordered her to death will pay." Quaid wrapped an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me tight. None of the Capitol citizens moved as Quaid, Jace and I mourned over Jetta's death. She peacefully lay in my lap, as if she was sleeping. Yeah, sleeping without air.

I began to stroke her hair as Jace wiped my tears away. My lips opened and I began to calm her like I did back home: sing. "Deep in the meadow, under the willow. A bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head, and close your eyes. And in the morning, the sun will rise."

Jace and Quaid began to harmonize with me. Together, we began to sing Jetta away. "Here is safe and here is warm. Here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place, where I love you." I wipe the flood of tears away and I turn to Jace. We embrace each other tightly as we say good-bye to our baby sister. The little girl who chased chickens into town. The little girl who I taught how to milk a cow. The little girl who gave me the strength to return home from the Games.

Good-bye, Jetta.

...

By the goodness of the Capitol, we were allowed one lot for Jetta's final resting place in the Capitol Cemetery. A tombstone was made for her to remember her by, even though not many Capitolites knew Jetta. Eleora made me a simple black dress to wear to her funeral. I have only been to a few funerals before, but I never thought that I would attend my own sister's. Everyone who witnessed Jetta's death came to pay their respects as we said our good-byes. My heart ached to see a closed coffin over a deep in the hole in the ground. Quaid and I locked fingers as we were allowed to place a rose on her casket. A single rose to say our farewells.

Quaid placed a rose on her mahogany coffin and I followed him. We stepped away and let Jace and my parents say their good-byes. My mother let out a tiny whimper as she stepped away from her daughter's coffin. All the Capitol citizens who showed up placed a rose on her casket out of respect, not out of mourning. Demetria placed a final snow white rose on Jetta's coffin to say good-bye. We all watched as the coffin went into the earth, taking my sister with it. Jetta's death hit me like a ton of bricks: _that could have been me if I died in the Games._

I turn away as the dirt encases my sister's coffin. Quaid holds me tight, my head buried in his chest. Memories come at me in waves of little Jetta. I was there when she was born, when she spoke her first word, when she took such an interest in animals, and when she first rode Locomotion. Every memory that contained Jetta in it began to come in me in quick bursts. Tears flowed from my eyes like a river and my breathing became sharp. Quaid's hand ran over my hair, trying to calm me down. "Shh, Jada, it's okay. She's no longer in Panem, in fear of the Hunger Games. It's okay."

"I want to know who d…d…did this to her." I cry.

"All we have to go by is Ace 'Cap' Woody." Quaid tells me, continuing to stroke my hair. "Let's go back to the Training Center and take a rest. You haven't slept since she died." Quaid leads me to Eleora's chrome car, ready to take me back to the Tribute Prison.

I watched as the Capitol sped by. By the end of this week, Quaid and I will be on our way to District 1 while my family heads back to 10. I am ready to leave this God-forsaken city. I need to go somewhere else, preferably somewhere with Quaid. I felt a hand squeeze mine. My eyes follow to Quaid, who was gripping my hand. "It'll be okay, Cowgirl. Everything will turn out alright." His attempts to calm me did nothing. I turned back to the window and watched the passing city.

We arrive to the Training Center and I pull Quaid aside. "I'm going to go to the gym for a while. You know, clear my head of all of this." He nods and holds my face in his hands.

"Alright Cowgirl. Don't follow Pace again." I let a smile cross my face as he places his lips to mine. I want the embrace to last, but wishes are never granted in Panem. Quaid breaks apart from me and explains to Eleora what I am doing. They whiz up to floor one and I turn for the empty gym. Some stations were closed for cleaning, others were left open for me to use. With the Games coming up in about five months, they need everything to be ready for the newest tributes.

I walk over to the fire starting station, one of my favorites. It has the terrain to start a fire in. Fake trees, fake dirt, fake rocks; although it's fake, it reminds me of home. I sit near the ring of fire should be and begin to rub two rocks together. Sparks fly each time I strike the surfaces together and they try to catch a fire. I do everything that I remember from my training, but a fire can't get started. I drop the rocks and sit in the fake forest. I can faintly hear the birds sing, like the first time I brought Jetta to the spring. I close my eyes and let the birds overtake my mind.

_Locomotion was moving at a slow pace for tiny Jetta. The six-year-old wanted a ride on my horse, but she wanted me with her. I agreed, because who can say no to those gorgeous green eyes of hers? Her small arms wrapped around my torso as I moved Loco into a forest area, where birds were singing their songs. Jetta's eyes look to the trees and asses what is around her. Birds in green trees, flowers blooming in the spring weather, and rabbits taking their daily walk. Everything seemed magical to her._

_I slowed Loco down to a slow walk and finally stopped him. "Here's our stop. Let go of me so I can take you off of him, alright?" She nods as I swing over Loco's back and land onto the forest floor. I raise my hands up and grab a hold of Jetta and lead her to the ground. She takes my hand and leads me to a patch of flowers. Primroses and clovers filled our eyes as she picks a primrose and gives it to me._

"_Do you like it?" She asks, her green eyes twinkling at me. I smile as I hold the flower delicately._

"_I love it, sweetie." I reply. "But, it will look lovely in your hair. Here." I twist the stem and fit it into her blond locks. The primrose stays, enhancing her facial features. "There you go. You look as pretty as the flower."_

_Jetta hugs my legs as I say those words. I crouch down and wrap my arms around her. I knew that the Reaping is in a week, and it was possible I would be chosen. Jetta fully understood what a Reaping was and she was scared for me. I took her to the spring to calm her feelings, and assure her that I wouldn't leave her or District 10 for the Games. I let go of her and took her to the clear water spring._

_She reached in and touched the water's surface. She left a ripple in the water, and it continued to grow. It grew and grew, distorting our faces in the water. The primrose in her hair fell from her ear and landed in the water. When she reached for it, she lost her balance and fell into the water. She made a splash and I went in right after her. I pulled her to the surface before she could drown. _

_Her face was dripping wet, but a smile overcame her. "Can we do that again?"_

I shake my head. I look around and I see that I am still in the Training Center. I get up and move to the knife throwing station, which should be cleaned up soon. I wrap my hand around the handle of the knife and pick it up. I remember when Jetta came into the barn when I was practicing my knife throwing. I told her to leave, but she wanted to watch. She was fascinated every time I hit the bulls-eye. I blink my eyes and throw the knife. It landed dead center.

With each throw, my mind began to clear. It kept returning to the thought of Ace setting up my sister's demise. I don't who he was, but his name didn't sound like a Capitol name. It sounded like someone didn't know what to name their kid. Another knife whizzed through the air and slammed into the dummy. It hit the target in the head. Ace 'Cap' Woody didn't sound very '_Capitol like_'.

Suddenly, my mind turns to my days in the District 10 schooling. One of our teachers was explaining the idea of fake names. She put her name on the board and began to cross letters to make a new name for herself. I tried to remember her words… _See what I did there? It is called an Anagram. Anagrams switch the letters of a name and make a completely new one. By this logic, if they read the new name and didn't see your face, they couldn't tell who you were._

My knife drops to the floor and I go up to my floor.

...

I enter the apartment in a rush. Everyone is watching the T.V for Capitol News. I stand in front of everyone's face and look them in the eyes. "I know who Ace 'Cap' Woody is." Their eyes widen, and everyone asks the same question at the same time.

"Who?" Everyone looks to each other, then back to me.

"It's an anagram." I explain. "I switched some letters around and Ace Cap Woody is really Pace Caywood."

Quaid stands up and comes closer to me. His emerald eyes begin to shimmer as I look at him. "Are you sure, sweetheart?"

I nod in silence. Pace Caywood got away with killing me on the inside before. This time, I won't let him off easy for ending my sister's life. I don't care who ordered him to order the death of Jetta, I want him hurt more than I am.

**A/N: SURPRISE! I hope you liked the surprise chapter. I didn't really expect to write this one up so quick, but I did! Who was surprised? I remembered Anagrams from A Series of Unfortunate Events and decided to put this one in there. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING! I am very grateful of all of you for reading this story. And putting up with my grammar and spelling errors. Thank you so much.**

**As normal, read, review and enjoy! :)**


	24. Exchange From Her Death

Pace Caywood ordering Jetta's death smacked me in the face. He hurt me countless times, hurt my children, but I never expected him to hurt my innocent sister. She had nothing to do with my 'rebellion spark', but if this was to stop me from ever attempting this again, he succeeded. Jada had nothing to do with anything, but he still killed her. He won't get off easy this time, no matter how far his smooth talking gets him. He will pay for ever messing with me.

I leave the apartment, Quaid following me. He tried to stop me, but I wouldn't let him. I quickly enter the elevator and press T. I know he will be down there. After I left the gym, someone called our apartment to let me know that I need to clean my mess. That voice belonged to Pace, and those would be the last words he ever mutters. The elevator whizzes down to my desired designation, not before Quaid slams his fist on the red '_Stop_' button. I snap my head to look at him, begging him to restart the elevator silently.

"What the hell?" I ask, my voice overflowing with frustration. "Restart the elevator!" I voice my desire while Quaid just shakes his head.

"No. You can't kill Pace for killing Jetta. He was probably under orders of someone else." He reasons. I pace around in the small elevator, thinking of what I want to say. My doesn't think, it just speaks out what I need to say.

"So Pace is the good guy now?" I yell in my lover's face. "Need I remind you that he tortured me, put out children in danger, and killed my sister? She was only eight! Pace will never be the good guy, no matter how much the Capitol loves him!" My anger exploded onto Quaid and hurt swelled in his eyes. I haven't yelled at him since I was under the influence of Ragac.

"I never said he was the good guy." Quaid retorts, irritation in his vocal chords. "Maybe he only did it because he was told to. Like the Gamemakers. They don't plan to kill innocent children, but they need to because Chal made them. Did you ever think of that?"

"Pace was ordered to hurt me before. Did you forget that?" I scream. "Pace is _always _under orders. We will always be under orders. Whether it is from Rector or the whole Capitol, we will never make our own decisions. Pace killed Jetta because Rector wanted him to!"

Heat of anger began to rise in the small elevator. I can feel the frustration in Quaid's face, but he hides it. He can't hide it from me. I can see flames in his eyes. His hands land on my shoulders and pin me against the wall of the elevator. I kick at him and trash around, but I can't get out of his grip. He keeps me on the wall of the elevator and I relentlessly listen to my husband.

"Listen Jada." He starts, and I try to listen. "Pace is another Capitol pawn. He is only doing what he is told, like a child with their mother. Rector will always have a say on what happens to him and us, and there is nothing that we can do about it. Why don't you just simply talk to Pace and ask him why he did it? Doesn't that sound better than murder?"

"We murdered other people in the arena, remember? What's the difference now?" I shout, resisting him with all my might. Quaid's grip tightens and I am hopelessly pinned against the wall.

"Because this time, you are killing a victor. You know how precious the victors are, don't you sweetheart?" His words carry a lot of truth in them. If I did kill Pace, I could be executed for murder. The arena isn't like the Capitol; the arena doesn't have any rules while the Capitol can hurt you for doing the slightest thing wrong.

My anger drops to the floor and I look into Quaid's eyes. "I...I..." I couldn't get anything out. I continued to stare into the emerald pools in Quaid's eyes. His hand rests on my cheek and he smiles. The grip is released from my shoulders and he restarts the elevator. It stops on the training floor and we begin to walk towards the gym. My heart drops as I hear the sounds of a sword slicing the air.

We walk in calmly and observe Pace hacking away at a dummy. He could have grown up in District 2 by the way he stabs the dummy and destroys it. I got scared just by watching him wield the sword. My breathing became rapid as we got closer to the monster of a boy from District 3. Quaid's fingers locked with mine for support. We walked slowly to the boy who killed my sister. I didn't have to say a word; Quaid did it for me. "Nice stance. Preferably, you want to have a strong grip on the handle, so it won't fly from your hands." Pace spun to see the star crossed lovers from 1 and 10 stare him down.

He let out a laugh and dropped his sword. "Yes, well I don't need to know that information anymore. I already won my Games, remember?" He walked closer as we did the same. We met each other half-way, and I feared a death match would occur.

"Who were you when you won the Games? Were you Ace 'Cap' Woody?" Quaid banters, not losing eye contact with the past victor. Pace's eyes drain of the hazel color and his fingers began to quake.

"Not at all." He replies through a cracked voice. "I was Pace Caywood, sixteen year old victor from District Three. I am not a killer from the Capitol. There is a..." Pace got cut off from Quaid tackling him to the gym floor, with Quaid having the upper hand. His hands pinned him to the floor.

"We know that you had an injection placed inside of Jetta." He screams into his face. "Jetta was too young to die. Do you know how old she was? No. You don't care and you're a selfish bastard! Who ordered you to kill Jetta?"

I watched in silence as Pace's eyes began to drain of color. His skin began to go pale as Quaid placed his forearm over Pace's windpipe. I didn't say a word as the victors fought. Pace started to softly mutter words that I couldn't seem to make out. Quaid released the grip on Pace's throat and allowed the color to return to his victim's skin. Pace took a deep breath and got his composure back.

"It was a Capitol citizen." He answers. Before Quaid could beat him up again, he quickly adds "they offered me a chance to see my family again and I took the offer before looking back. I know Jetta was only seven or eight, but that is the same age as my baby brother. Jada, do you understand?" Pace held his hands over his face so Quaid couldn't touch him. His eyes had his color back, but something glimmered in his eyes.

Everything turned silent as they looked to me. Pace was known for winning his Games by being a ruthless killer. He hid away from all the tributes and only struck when needed, but he completely mangled his victims. A ruthless killer like Pace was now cowering at the hands of a District 1 boy like a dying animal. He turned from someone who can destroy into a person begging for his life. I never thought I'd see something like that. I leaned down to Pace and began to speak.

"I do understand. You did not need to hurt Jetta in order to see your brother and your family. Were they taken from you in District Three?" His eyes continue to glimmer with some sort of fear and hurt as he nods to my question. "So, if you killed my baby sister, you get to see your family again?" He nods one more time. "Do you know who gave you the offer? What did they look like?"

"He had fire-red hair and blue skin. Called himself Fire and Ice." He says. Quaid stands up from Pace and helps him up. "He asked me if I wanted to see my family again. He told me that I needed to do the Capitol a favor by silencing a rebellion. I paid a doctor to inject Jetta with a lethal injection. Fire and Ice called me and told me my family will be seeing me again soon."

A door swung open and four people examined the gymnasium. Their eyes stopped on Quaid, Pace, and I talking. An older woman with graying hair sees Pace and runs over to him. A man with a similar look to Pace follows the woman and a child follows their lead. The woman crashes into Pace, holding him tightly and sobbing in his arms. The man finds a way to hug Pace from the side, shaking as he held onto Pace. The child waits their turns to hug the past victor and be with him again. Suddenly, the realization hits me.

This is his family.

Pace wraps his arms around the little boy and shakes as he holds onto him. That is his brother that Fire and Ice was talking about. Pace looks so identical to the boy it is scary. They had the same ashen hair and hazel eyes. The boy, although shorter and younger than his brother, had a strong stature and muscles like his brother. They hugged for what seemed like an eternity, and I felt my heart twist into the shape of a pretzel. The only way for his family to reconnect is for mine to be severed. Jetta's death resulted in a happy family.

Quaid and I began to walk out before Pace yelled out. "Hey. Fire and Ice is probably in Chrome right now. It is a block down from here. Remember. Fire red hair and ice blue skin." I nodded and left the Training Center. Quaid and I walked down the Capitol streets and looked for Chrome. Was it a bar, like the Blue Bar back home? Or was it a club? I looked at all the silver buildings with countless windows and searched for a building marked 'Chrome'.

Quaid finally found it at the end of the road. In swirly letters read the word 'Chrome'. It looked like a Capitol hangout, much like Blue Bar in District 10. I walked in, without the slightest idea of what I would face. When I enter, the whole room is white except for the customers in it. The couches, the walls, the floor, and everything else was white. I was in such in awe of the place, I didn't feel a man tap on my shoulder. I turned to see a man with gray skin look to my stomach.

"This isn't a place for pregnant women." He says. I place a hand over my stomach and smile.

"I'm not here to drink. I'm looking for Fire and Ice." The man nods and picks up a Capitol phone. He asks for Fire and Ice and turns to me. "He's in the back. Don't drink, alright?" I walk with Quaid and nod at his request. We walk past the open lobby and go through a white door. The room was empty, except a desk, Victor Pictures, and a stand out male with blue skin and red hair reading Capitol news. His eyes were an ocean hue and matched his skin to a tee. His feet rested on his desk, and he glanced in the direction of me and Quaid.

"Ahh, the victors from the Quarter Quell. What can I do you for?" He asks, his mouth curling into a smile. His teeth were perfectly straight and bleached white.

"Did you ask Pace Caywood a request?" Quaid asks. Fire and Ice puts his paper down and giggled.

"Yes, Pace Caywood. A charming man. His family was under custody because of an...incident." His finger began to tap the desk. "He wanted to see his brother, Pervis, again. Such an odd name for District Three."

"Why did you have him kill my sister?" I burst, ready for the answer.

Fire and Ice cackles and stands up. He moves closer to me and I can smell the whisky on his breath. "In order to gain a life, you must lose a life. For you, my sweet victor, you had to lose a life important to you for Pace to gain a life that is important to him. In this case, Jetta had to die for Pervis to see Pace again." His words made no sense as I repeated them in my mind.

"Quit speaking in riddles and make some sense." Quaid yells, but is held back by Fire and Ice's finger.

"Make sense? What fun is there in making sense?" He coos at Quaid but turning towards me. His finger traces the outline of my face. "Fine. You were already in trouble for your...what did Rector call it...'rebellion spark'. Jetta's death was a warning. A warning to all of Panem that if you dare try to take down the Capitol, you will lose the most important people to you."

"That's not fair!" I scream, pushing Fire and Ice away from me. "You took Jetta's life for my ignorant actions. Why didn't you kill me instead?"

"The Capitol favors you. If you were to die, they'd get suspicious." He answers. "And you are more important than Jetta." My heart stopped beating. His voice began to mess with my mind, making things seem fake when they are real. Real when they are fake. His finger left my face and his ice cold voice speaks one more sentence. "You better leave before you join Jetta in death."

**A/N: Fire and Ice seems like a mad man. How did you like the chapter? Was it out of the ordinary? Was it all you ever dreamed? Tell me in a review. I have a new poll up, and I would like your input. There will be a cover change for this story, and I would like to know who you would like to see on the cover. Go ahead and vote away. I will be changing the cover by next weekend. Review and enjoy! :) Please, if you haven't, go check out ****PeetasGirl8, ActressAssassian2010, **** and ****mar9512. ****Their stories are amazing and I'd think you'd like them. :)**


	25. So Much More

Later that night, Quaid and I lay on our bed together, doing nothing. Fire and Ice's words continued to haunt me. His voice, his appearance, his orders put me in a spin. _Jetta's death was a warning. _I visibly shiver at his words. They tickle my ears and wrap around my brain. His voice was so cunning, so manipulative, so…odd. He could have had me under his control in minutes. His voice reminded me of Ragac; if he told me Quaid or Jace were against me, I would have been after them. Quaid wraps his arm around my shaking body and pulls me close to him.

"It's alright, Jada." He whispers, as if afraid to wake up the whole apartment. "Shh. Everything will be alright. I'm here, and you will no longer be hurt by the Capitol." His hands push my hair behind my ears and he kisses my forehead. His hands travel down my arms and rest on my stomach.

"I hope you're right." I say back, putting my hand on his. "I don't want to be hurt anymore. I want to go home."

In the dim lighting, I can see Quaid smile. "We will be going home. I asked Shimmer to set up the train so we can all go home. We leave tomorrow. I also booked Pace's train, so he and his family can go home."

I curl up next to Quaid and close my eyes. No matter how much I try to forget, I can't get Jetta's final moments out of my head. Her green eyes filled with terror as the needle contacted her skin. When the injection was in her body, her eyes began to flutter shut, getting a final look at the world around her before she left. As if I didn't already have terrors from my Hunger Games, President Rector kills my baby sister. I can't call him out; he's too well liked and I might get ridiculed. Jetta was killed in front of me, just as if she was in the Games.

Quaid strokes my hair until my world fades into sleep.

_I am sitting on Diamond Dancer's back, ready to ride the new horse. I haven't ridden her since we got her, so I didn't know what to expect. Not every horse I ride is smooth and peaceful like Locomotion. I nudge Diamond forward, making her leave my property in District 10 and move to the spring. She begins to canter, until I kick her harder and she starts to move in a gallop._

_The wind flows through my hair and I am only focusing on the trail in front of me. Nothing can take me down from my good mood of riding my horse. My hands are gripped on her mane and I let out sounds of approval. My leg muscles are put to the test to hold onto her sides without falling off. Diamond Dancer moves faster than Locomotion, and I quickly adjust. My fingers are entangled in her mane and I force her to make a sharp left. We are on the trail to the spring._

_I push her to go faster, as if Careers are chasing me to the spring. She follows my orders, speeding up and galloping to the point of exhaustion. She continues to move though, being completely unnerved by my orders to move. My father was right; he only bought Diamond Dancer for her speed. She was faster than all the horses on the market. Luckily he snatched her up before anyone else could. The spring is within my view and I slow Diamond down to a trot so she can catch her much needed breath._

_Mockingjays and other birds sing their songs as we reach the spring. I completely stop her and dismount. She lets out a neigh of happiness as she makes her way to the water. She leans her muzzle in to the chilly water and begins to take gulps of the water. I laugh to myself at the silly horse and I lay on the ground. The tips of the trees touch the sky, pointing to the clouds. Lightning electrifies the dark clouds, telling me I should go home. I should be no where near the spring when a storm is coming on._

_Something keeps me to the ground. A hand is placed on my wrist. I follow the hand to its owner. My eyes are locked onto the girl's green eyes and blond hair. My heart skips a beat and I suddenly remember this girl. Jetta is by my side, just like the good days back in 10 before I was a tribute. She never left my side, but I was pulled from her. "Jetta!" I exclaim and sit up. She smiles a shy smile and wraps her arms around me._

_I held her in a tight embrace and I didn't let go. I squeezed her body and let tears of happiness fall. I look her over and I didn't see any puncture marks on her skin. She looks as if the injection never entered her body. She pulled away from my embrace and stared into my eyes. I will miss those green eyes that I have been envious of for years. "I miss you, Jada." She croaks, wiping my tears away._

"_I miss you too, Jetta." I reply, still in shock. "I know who ordered you to…die. Do you remember Pace Caywood?" She nods slightly. "He ordered your death under an anagram. He needed you to die in order to see his family again." Her eyes begin to fill with fresh tears as I say these words. She looks completely unfazed as I say the story._

"_At least he saw his family again." She replied. There she goes again, seeing the good in everything. "I want to tell you that your daughter will be fine when she is born." She gestures to my stomach. Is this why she's here? Thunder cracked overhead and she cowered into my body, just like always._

"_What about my son?" I ask. She lets her smile drop and her eyes begin to dim._

"_He…he won't make it." She replies after moments of silence. The realization hits me before I realize it. She grabs my hand tightly, not wanting to let go. "But your daughter will be healthy and happy. I don't think she ever gets Reaped. None of your children will." Can she see in the future?_

"_Thank you Jetta." I say in a tear clogged voice. "Thank you for visiting me." I pull her into a hug as lightning begins to strike. When I look up, she's gone. She left in thin air and I may never see her again._

_Rain begins to fall quickly and in groups. The ground I am sitting on gets drenched in the water. I stand up and grab Diamond Dancer for home._

I awake to find Quaid still by my side, holding onto me. He looks like he hasn't let go of me all night. His eyes lock onto mine and I know what we are doing today: going home to District 1 after countless weeks in the Capitol. His hands refuse to let go of me. We just lay in the bed for hours before we move or do anything.

The dream with Jetta got me to pack and get ready for 1. Even though it might have been a figment of my imagination, I still take her words about my son to heart. He may or may not make it, but I can't let that stop me. My daughter will be healthy and happy and not hurt by anything the Capitol does. She will not be Reaped or become a victor. Despite her wishes of doing so, she will not do it under my word.

Quaid led me to the train station, ready to say farewell to this city. Pace and his family arrive shortly after we do, but the train isn't ready quite yet. We have to wait an allotted fifteen minutes before we can leave this city. I catch a glimpse of the past victor and his brother. They look so much alike, I can't keep my eyes off of them. I can't help but smile; his brother clings to him much like Jetta clung to me. Pace catches my eye and lets a smile creep on his face. I leave Quaid for a moment and go to the boy from 3.

"I'm happy that you got your family back." I say, truth dripping from my words.

"I'm sorry I had to kill Jetta in order to do so." His hazel eyes drop to the floor in shame. I see Pace have remorse for Jetta. I don't blame him; he only did what he was told.

"Pace, Fire and Ice told me that you lost your family because of an incident." I start, trying not to look at Pace. "What did you do to lose your family?" A moment of fear crosses my heart. What could he have done to lose his whole family?

He wipes tears from his eyes and looks at me, despite avoiding his gaze. "Well, the Capitol wanted to use me for pleasure. They do that with real attractive victors, you know? Well, I did it for a while, but I wanted to stop. I already had the money and the life of a victor, and I wanted to be with my family. President Rector hid my family away until I repaid him."

"And his payment was my sister's death." I finished. He nodded and a clear liquid filled my eyes. I thought Pace was arrogant and selfish. There is so much more to a victor than it seems. He lost the people important to him, all because of what the president wanted to do. We will never escape the clutches of our president and our Capitol and the Games. We all have something new to fear.

Pace pulls me in for a hug. That was the last thing I thought he'd ever do. He held onto me tightly, keeping me close to his body. Tears fell onto my shoulder and he began to shake with the sadness. My grip tightened on him and tried to calm him. It wasn't long until I started to weep with him. I knew how sorry he was for killing my baby sister. He wanted my forgiveness for hurting me and putting my children in danger. He wanted a friendship to ensue, I could feel it radiate off of his body. I didn't want to let go of Pace, for the reason of that I finally forgive him. My shoulder was soaked with his tears of remorse and I had to let him go.

He looks to me and wipes my tears away. "We should call each other when we both get home. Have fun in District One." I smile a genuine smile to him.

"Thank you, Pace." I reply. "Have a good time with your family. Pervis looks so much like you." We exchange laughs and I turn to see my train has arrived.

"Bye, Jada." He says one last time. He places a hand on my stomach, feeling for my children. "What are you going to name them?" Only one thought entered my mind as he asked the question. And that thought was spoken aloud: "I'll know when I see them."

…

Quaid and I are on the train for the final time until the next Hunger Games. We sit in silence as the train speeds to home. We will move into the Victor Village home and live a comfortable life with our children. However, we know that our lives can't be planned out that way. Quaid's fingers lock with mine as trees zip by and we come closer and closer to our new home.

The silence was broken when Quaid spoke up. "Are you friends with Pace now?" He smiles and he makes me smile.

"Yes, you could say that." I reply, looking into his emerald orbs. "He seemed very sorry for Jetta's death. If he had a choice, he wouldn't have done it." Quaid nods at my words and lets out a sigh.

"He didn't have a choice." He says the truth.

Quaid was right. The want for his family took him over and he wanted nothing more than to see them again. He needed to see them, and he needed to take Jetta's life in order to do so.

"I wish I could have saved her." I mutter. "I wish I could tell her how sorry I am." Quaid's eyes flicker and he stands up.

"I'll be right back." He walks from the main compartment into the entertainment compartment. He leaves me alone and I am faced with silence.

My mind continues to wonder from place to place. In a way, I didn't want to leave the Capitol. Despite the horror they placed on me, they respected me. Sure, it was only for winning the Hunger Games, but they still had the respect for me. Demetria seemed to respect me the most, coming from a district that she personally loved. All the Capitol citizens who helped me find Jetta must have had a deep respect for me. From the victors and the citizens, they always will share a bond, no matter how old or forgotten; they share a respective bond and a personal bond.

My thoughts stop completely when Quaid comes back with paper and a pencil. He places the utensils in front of me. "Write a letter to Jetta." He explains. "When we get home, we will burn it, going up to wherever Jetta is. She will receive your letter and never feel separate from you again."

I didn't question him. I picked up the pencil and began to write my letter. _Dear Jetta…_

**A/N: As much as I hate to say it, Panem's Victors is drawing to a close. The next chapter will be the end, and I don't want it to end. There will always be loose ends needing tied up, but I can't always tie up those ties. There will be constant questions, like 'Were their children ever Reaped?' or 'Does Jada ever go back to Ten to see her family?' But, you know, stories always leave you hanging.**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed and liked this story. It means so much to me and I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I did writing it. With this story completed, I can focus all my time to Death All Around and my other works. Thank you all so much! :) **


	26. Epilogue: Letting Go of My Baby Sister

When we arrived at District 1's Victor Village, I still haven't completed the letter. I had it stored in the pocket of Quaid's jacket for me to finish later. We need to get settled in before I can finish. The luxury of the Capitol transferred to our home, with marble flooring and priceless paintings. The Victor Village home in 10 had the same luxury, but I feel that District 1 has it better than 10. Quaid's hands were placed on my shoulders, filling my body with heat. The air in the home made me feel at home, no longer in the Capitol's clutches to make me do what they want. Quaid turned me around and made me face his green orbs. Something in his eyes told me that we were home, honestly home.

"Jada, we're home." His voice echoed in my ears. "We don't need to worry about the Capitol for a long time." He pulled me in close, wrapping his arms around me.

"No we don't." I agreed. "We only need to worry about now and our life together." His lips touched my forehead and the heat radiated all over me. We moved to the upper level of our home and saw the bedrooms. Ours was the standard master bedroom, complete with a king sized bed and an en suite bathroom. We moved from bedroom to bedroom, noticing how similar they looked. Each one had a twin bed, a dresser, paintings, and our Victor Pictures. I never did see Quaid's, but he pulled the strong boy angle.

We came to the last bedroom, and we stood in the doorway. A District 1 citizen or the Capitol must have redecorated it. Inside were two cribs, one pink and one blue. Toy chests were by the walls, a changing table was by the window, and tons of baby inspired pictures hung on the wall. The walls were painted a smooth cream color and the flooring was carpeted in the same color. I took one step in and my foot latched on to bags with sparkling letters in them. I grabbed the note on top of the bags and took a glance. My eyes filled with clear tears as I read over every pen stroke.

_Mr. and Mrs. Ethers,_

_I hope you don't mind, but I remodeled a room for your children. After the announcement was made a while back that you were pregnant, I came over and redid the room for you. I hope it is to your liking. I understand that you were gone in the Capitol for a while now, and the last thing on your minds was probably remodeling a room for your babies. I wasn't sure of the gender, so I placed two cribs inside with pink and blue coverings. You don't need to thank me; think of it as a wedding gift. If you wish to thank me, I am in a large house just outside Victor's Village. The numbers on my home are 5775. Your welcome and have a happy life together!_

_Silver Beycourt _

I looked to Quaid and saw tears in his eyes as well. Something told me that he knew Silver, and this was just too much. A tear slipped from his eye and rolled down his cheek. After weeks of comforting me, I decided to comfort him. I wiped away the tear and looked into his emerald eyes. "Do you know Silver?" I ask.

His lip quivered as he answered me. "Yes. Silver was the woman who helped me with my parents and took me to the orphanage. She's also the highest paid interior designer in District One. She was like a mother to me." His voice trembled and more tears escaped. "I knew she cared, but I didn't think she would remodel a whole room for us and our children" Quaid places a hand on my stomach, which has grown since I made the announcement. I could feel them stirring inside, ready to let their father hear them.

"Why don't we pay Silver a visit?" I suggest. Quaid's eyes light up in an instant. "She put a lot of work into the bedroom and she left us letters for when we name our children. And I haven't met her yet. Can we go?"

I was sure everyone in District 1 heard Quaid yell "Yes!"

* * *

We walked the streets, hand in hand, walking to Silver's house. The house number was easy to remember, but we had to get out of Victor's Village before we could get to Silver. Unlike in District 10, the Victor's Village here is huge. Many houses had to be built to hold all of the victors that District 1 reels in. I don't even want to think about District 2's Victor Village; it must have over seventy houses. We walk through the crisp air to the end of the Village and look for Silver's house number.

When we find the house, it looks like nothing more than a Victor Village home, but Silver isn't a victor. Living so close to the Village must mean that her house is designed like those homes. Her house number glistens in the light and reflects to my eyes. The mailbox reads _Beycourt _and I know we are here. We walk up her walk-way, leading to the front door. Quaid hesitates to knock on the door, but he pulls through and knocks. "Silver!" He calls.

The door swings open and I am faced with a woman who looks like Shimmer. Her long, curly blond locks go halfway down her back. Her eyes were as deep as the ocean, about the color of my eyes. She was slim and only five foot tall. Quaid looks like a giant compared to us. Her eyes widen at the sight of Quaid and she wraps her arms around him. Her voice was high pitched, but it didn't hurt my ears. "Quaid, baby! I never thought I'd see you again! And is this Jada? She's so much prettier in person!"

Silver wrapped her arms around me next. A scent of lavender smacked my nose, but it was bearable. She had a tough grip on me, but she was careful around my stomach. "Oh, sweetie! You look like your glowing. You must be so happy to start a family of your very own. Oh, where are my manners? Come inside, you must be cold." She led us inside her home, which smelt like lavender and tea. Silver took us to the living room, where a doorway led into the kitchen. The tea scent became stronger as the minutes passed.

Quaid and I sit on a red velvet love seat while Silver sits on a single chair. She pushes some of her locks behind her ear and begins to talk again. "So, how is it being in a whole new district, Jada? It must be a change from Ten!" She sips her tea when she finishes.

"Quite a change, I must say." I start, sitting closer to Quaid. "I will miss Ten and my animals, but I want our children to live with both of us here."

"I can understand, my dear." Silver squeals, and looks to Quaid. "Did you enjoy the new room I did for you?" Quaid nods, too in shock to speak. "I heard that you two were expecting and I wiped something together. I hope you enjoy it while the babies grow up. Quaid, promise me you will be a good father to your children, alright?"

Quaid nods and looks to Silver. "I promise, Auntie Silver."

My eyebrows raise. Is this his aunt? I didn't think so, but they look so similar. Everyone in 1 looks the same, but they look like a male and female version of each other. Silver notices my expression and croaks out a laugh. She places her tea-cup down and looked at me.

"Oh, Jada. We aren't related. Since he was little, he was in the orphanage I ran part-time. Everyone in the orphanage calls me Auntie Silver, but I am not directly related to them. Do you see now?" I nod and smile. I have to stop thinking so literal.

The rest of the visit consists of Silver saying that she will plan everything until the children are born. She will buy us all the necessities we require and she will be there when they are born. Silver was probably the reason Quaid was such a gentleman in the arena. He grew up with her as a parent figure and she taught him to be respectful. She did take him to the Training Academy all the time, but didn't let him get overly confident. Silver told me how she didn't want him to turn out like Flitter, who was arrogant in her own abilities. Just hearing Flitter's name sent chills up my spine, when she was ready to strike me dead with her knife.

We left Silver's home and went to ours, ready to start our life together.

**Many Months Later...**

I finish signing my name on a piece of paper, the piece I haven't looked at in months. I fold it and place it in my pocket. A whimper is hear from upstairs, and I respond immediately. I move myself to the bedroom Silver has done for us and see my baby girl wine for me. I pick her up from her crib and cradle her in my arms. This little miracle has defied the odds of surviving in my womb and come to Panem with a smiling face. As soon as I start to rock her and sing the lullaby that put my sister to sleep, her eyes begin to close. For being only two months, she is the sweetest little girl any parent can ask for.

I continue to sing and I hear a harmony behind me. I let the words continue to flow as I turn and see Quaid, singing in the doorway. He comes to my side, and we sing our baby girl to sleep. When her eyes are closed and I hear her breathing softly, I place her back in her crib. I kiss her forehead and let her sleep in peace. Parts of her head are covered in blond locks, but they might change when she grows up. Quaid turns me around and makes me face him. "Did you finish?" He asks. I giggle and take out the piece of paper out of my pocket.

"Just got it done. Ready to burn it?" I reply. Quaid nods and leads me out of the bedroom where our baby sleeps. We walk downstairs and into the backyard. Quaid has the lighter in his hands and I unfold my letter. I didn't let him hear it until I finished, which this will be the first time I read it aloud.

_Dear Jetta,_

_Saying good-bye to you was the hardest thing I have ever done. You were my first friend (besides Jace and the animals) and my baby sister. I sang you to sleep every night, made sure you had a full belly, and let you ride my horse. I don't know where you are now, but I want you to know that I think of you everyday. A little eight year old like you shouldn't have died yet, but you were unfairly taken from me. I no longer hate Pace for killing you. He was doing what he was told, and I can respect that. It was like when I was placed in the Games, and everyone ordered me to kill Faith. I killed a little girl unfairly, and I have regretted it ever since._

_I know you will never meet your niece, but I want you to know about her. She survived the journey to Panem, but without her brother, who died in the process. But, your niece is beautiful and happy, just like you were when you were a baby. She has your green eyes and blond hair. She will look like you when she grows up, I can just feel it. When she is old enough, I will tell her about you and why I cry every time I see her. She looks like you when you were born. She may have the same attitude as you; I may never know. But, I want you to know something, baby sister._

_I named her Jetta. Jetta Rose Ethers._

_In every way, she reminds me of you. Not just by her name, by every aspect of her being. Little Jetta Rose will live like you did, but she has a Training Academy and two victors as parents. When she is old enough, I will tell her about the Games and tell her not to volunteer. If the Academy wishes that they want her to bring pride, so be it. But Jetta will always remind me of you, as if you live on in her. I sing her to sleep every night, feed her, and make sure she's happy, like I have done with you._

_Watch over your niece with a sharp eye and make sure that she is a good child. If she goes in the Games, make sure that she comes home to her parents and family. Also make sure that you are looking over the Caldwell Farm in District 10. I will take little Jetta there when she is old enough, but she's only two months old now. I will see you again, baby sister. One day._

_Jada Ethers~_

When I finish reading, Quaid takes the letter and sends it up in smoke. The words burn away and flow to where ever Jetta is. My words float up to her, taking the meaning with it. I watch as the paper curls and burns away. Jetta will never suffer the Games like I did. She will never have to deal with President Rector controlling her life. And she will never have to kill anyone or be killed by anyone. Quaid wraps an arm around me as a weight is lifted from my shoulders.

Jetta is in peace and looking over me.

**A/N: And there you have it. As I was writing the letter, I almost cried. That is something that I strive for when I write: can you cry, laugh, or get angry at your own work? Jada finally let go of her sister, but let her continue on in her daughter. I would like to thank everyone who read and reviewed the whole story and I would love to thank everyone who has read my other works. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed _Panem's Victors _as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)**


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